


Things Lost in the Fire

by writteninweakness



Series: Things Lost in the Fire Detective AU [1]
Category: Amnesia (Game & Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Amnesia, Angst, Arson, Banter, Brother-Sister Relationships, Brothers, Case Fic, F/M, Flashbacks, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Torture, Minor Character Death, Orion is human, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Build, Some Humor, Stalking, Team as Family, Threats, should i promise the killer isn't any of the boys?, they're a team here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-07-02 23:24:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 195,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15806661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writteninweakness/pseuds/writteninweakness
Summary: Traumatized, reclusive detective Kent was ready to resign when the task force is recalled to active duty.The boys have to work together using their respective talents to protect an amnesiac witness, her younger brother, and one of their own from a serial killer with a thing for fire.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I love how Kent and Ikki get so interested in solving the incident that happens to the heroine in Shin's route, and that made me think over and over again that Kent would make a good detective. Well, most of them show it there, and Toma shows it in his route, so that made me think they all might be pretty good at it.
> 
> And so I kept thinking about that as I wrote my other story, and I couldn't let the idea go even as much as the other story took its turns on me and I became less and less sure of it, which is probably why this has appeal as mysteries are very much my comfort zone. I've read and written them for a long time now. Also, the idea of Orion and Kent interacting also led to this because I really wanted to see that, and not just with the heroine speaking for Orion but them actually interacting. Like a brotherly hug between them would be great but just them talking and maybe bickering a little...?
> 
> Anyway, that's what started this, and it went darker than that thought would suggest, but I liked the idea of a task force and all the guys being friends, so all of that came into this.

* * *

“Wake up. Oh, please wake up. Please.”

She heard a voice and felt something shaking her right as everything seemed to explode in pain. Her head ached, and it was hard to see who was talking to her. She couldn't seem to form words, and her throat was on fire. She reached a hand up to it and cried out in pain.

“Oh, don't do that,” the voice said, distressed. “You'll hurt yourself. A lot. I'm sorry, but you seem to have been badly burned already, even though the fire's not that close to us.”

She frowned, but now that he said that, maybe her vision problem wasn't so much because of her head and more because of the haze around them. Smoke, she could smell it now, and she tensed up, looking for the fire he'd spoken of, afraid she couldn't move.

She looked back at the boy. “Who... who are you?”

He winced. “Oh, we really don't have time for that right now. We have to find a way out of here. Fast.”

She nodded, though that hurt, too, knowing they couldn't wait around if the building was on fire. She didn't know much else—her name, where she was, how she'd gotten here, none of that came to her despite her growing desperation to know what was happening to her and why everything hurt so much. She had to move.

“Do you think you can stand?”

She looked at the boy with a growing sense of fear. “I... I don't know.”

“I think you'd better try,” the boy said, trying to be gentle. He seemed kind, and she liked him, but she still didn't know who he was to her. “Here, I'll help you as much as I can.”

She took his hand. He was sweet, but young and small, and she didn't think he'd be able to do much to help her. She stood, her legs now hurting as much as her arms, and he gave her a worried look when she moaned.

“You're really hurting. I couldn't see what happened other than where you got burned, but I bet it's bad,” he said, and then he coughed. “The smoke is getting worse, too. Okay, maybe if you kind of lean on me, we can get out of here? I found a door over here before I heard you—you were in so much pain you cried out while you were sleeping—and I think it might be the way to go.”

She led him take the lead, too weak and in too much pain to argue anyway. She didn't think he would do anything to harm her, and she had to get out of here before it burned. She wanted to know why she was here, how this had happened, but she couldn't remember and all she had to go on was the knowledge that she'd die if she stayed and that this boy seemed to care about her.

She forced herself not to panic. That would do her no good, and she was having a hard enough time walking as it was. Every step sent pain through her whole body, and she felt something wet down her boot, like she must be bleeding from somewhere but she hurt too much to know which cut was the source. 

She tried to ignore it. She had to. They were almost at the door. It didn't look too heavy, and he could probably open it, but why were they here? That she didn't understand. If she'd been hurt so badly... how did she get here? And... was he hurt, too, or was he just—No. She couldn't think that. She couldn't believe he was somehow a part of it.

Her fear tripped her up, and she stumbled, falling down.

“Oh, you can't stop now,” he said, turning back to her. “We're almost out. Please don't give up.”

She looked at the door again and back at him. “Is that really the way out? Or... are you part of this, whatever it is?”

He took her hands, holding them in his. “I swear I didn't have anything to do with hurting you. I... I know I should have explained, but I don't think we have time for that. Just... trust me a little longer. I'll get you out of here, and we can worry about all the rest of it later, okay?”

She tried to get up again and couldn't. Her leg wouldn't support her weight, and she checked it to see a deep cut down her shin that had her skin covered in red.

“Oh, that is really bad,” he whispered, and she nodded, though she regretted it a second later as she got dizzy, so light-headed she could barely keep her eyes open. “Hey, wait, don't leave me. Come on. I came so far and did all this to save you. You can't give up now. Please.”

“Sorry,” she heard herself whisper, but that was the last thing she knew.

* * *

Orion heard her apology and almost cried out himself, shaking his head in frustration. He couldn't let this happen. She wasn't supposed to stop now. He'd been searching for his sister everywhere, and now, now when he'd finally found her again. He knew she was hurt—he'd seen her arms and neck where she'd been burned, and it made him so angry—but she was still alive, and he couldn't let either of them give up now.

He touched her cheek, fighting tears. He gave her a pat at first and then shook her, needing her to wake up again. This whole building would burn soon, and they couldn't be here when that happened.

She didn't stir, and he had already tried dragging her when he first found her. He couldn't get her out of here on his own. He knew that.

He swallowed, looking back at the door. No one had been around when he came in, the whole neighborhood deserted, but maybe by now someone was here. They had to have noticed the fire, right? He didn't want to think about who had set it, about that person waiting to hurt his sister again, but he had to risk it, didn't he?

He nodded to himself, getting up and running to the door, shoving it open and running the short distance down the hall to the outer door. He pushed past it, too, stumbling out into the street. He looked around, frantic. He needed to find someone to help, fast.

He couldn't see anyone here, not down either direction of the alley, but he heard laughter, and he swallowed as he forced himself toward it. Was that the person who set the fire? Could it just be some teenager playing a prank? Maybe if they knew they'd set it with someone inside, they'd help?

He didn't know, but he had to find out. He ran toward the front of the alley, but one look at that man standing there laughing, the sinister expression on his face, Orion knew he didn't dare ask. He swallowed, about to back away, but then he saw something else.

The creepy laughing man was not laughing at the fire, but at someone standing across the street from him, another stranger. Orion didn't know who he was, and he was even a bit scary himself, but he knew what he had to do, for his sister.

He ran across the road without looking back, going over to grab hold of the man's coat, tugging hard on it.

“Please. I need your help.”

The man jerked, startled, bumping into the building behind him. He frowned at Orion, confused. “Where did you come from?”

“You didn't see me? You were staring at the fire and I crossed from over there and—” Orion stopped. The laughing man was no longer in sight. Did that mean—could he have gone back for her? This was really, really bad.

He looked back up at the man in front of him. “It's my sister. She's in there, and I can't wake her. I can't carry her. Please. I need help.”

The man's eyes went back to the building across the street. “Given the rate of spread and the size of the structure itself, the fire will consume it before emergency personnel arrive on site.”

Orion stared at him. Seriously? That was how this guy was going to react. “Uh...”

“It is likely that reentering the building now would be fatal for anyone attempting to do so.”

“I don't care!” Orion shouted, almost hitting this jerk. “I can't leave my sister in there. I'm going back to help her. You... I don't care what you do. I have to help her.”

He turned back, crossing the street again. He was out of breath when he rushed in through the door, but he forced himself down the hall to his sister. He wasn't leaving her alone. Even if he couldn't save her, he would make sure she wasn't alone.

* * *

“Damn,” Shin observed, even though he knew it was pointless. “Another one.”

Next to him, Toma nodded, his expression giving away little to the other officers on the scene but showing Shin just how much it bothered him to see this again. This creep was getting bolder by the day, having set this place ablaze in the middle of the lunch time rush instead of the dead of night or even early morning as he had before.

Not that it made much difference—the fire had still claimed most of the building before they got it put out, and Shin didn't have any illusions about what they'd find in the rubble when the smoke cleared. More mutilated bodies, just like before, an unholy offering or something—no one could agree on why this sicko did what he did—would be posed throughout the ruin, a monstrous display this guy wanted seen by everyone.

“They cleared us to go in yet?” Toma asked Ikki, who shook his head, his eyes not leaving the carnage in front of them. “How long you been here, anyway?”

Shin almost snorted. That was a stupid question. Ikki always went to the cafe a block over for lunch on Fridays, so he'd have been one of the first on the scene. “Better question—was this set here so you'd notice it?”

“Me?” Ikki laughed. “I doubt it was for my sake, even if a few people around here know my schedule by now. I'm not that important.”

Shin rolled his eyes. Sometimes Ikki really made him want to punch him, though not as much as Toma ever did. Still, Ikki was being stupid if he thought people didn't notice him. A former child star whose fan club was still very active despite his decision to give up acting and go to work as a policeman, people tweeted or whatever the hell that was about his location and posted pictures of him online all the time. That was why Ikki almost always got the high profile cases and did all the press stuff no one else wanted.

“Or maybe someone else,” Toma said, giving Ikki a look. “Did he come this time?”

“No.”

Shin cursed under his breath. How long was that going to last, anyway? Not that he or anyone else could tell someone how long to grieve, but Shin didn't think he'd seen the light of day in weeks.

“He didn't?” Toma asked, wincing. “Not again. It's been... what, two years now? I know it was bad, but it's not like him.”

Ikki didn't respond, and Shin ended up elbowing Toma instead. His step-brother glared back at him, but Shin didn't back down. Wasn't Toma supposed to be the kind one? Sensitive and all that? Shin might think it had been too long, too, but none of them were in any place to judge.

“I've finished taking photos of the perimeter,” Ukyo said, joining them with camera in hand. “And I've got plenty of candid shots of the crowd, but I won't know until later if I got anyone we've seen before at the other scenes.”

“Good work,” Waka said, appearing behind them without a sound again, though at least this time Shin hadn't jumped at it, only tensed up like Toma and Ikki. He hated when their captain managed to catch them off-guard, though it was rarer now than when he'd been a rookie. Most of the time they just expected Waka to be there, even if they hadn't seen him.

He seriously must have been a government assassin before 'retiring' to join the police.

“Uh, sir,” Toma began, eying Shin for a second, making him shrug, since it wasn't like they could ignore this, even if they were supposed to be somewhere else. “We were—”

“This takes priority,” Waka said. “I've been authorized to pull you all from your current assignments and reform the task force. All five of you.”

Shin had been expecting this for a while, even if he generally preferred working alone undercover instead of doing the desk thing with a team. This case was just too big and too violent to leave to ordinary detectives. He figured Waka had wanted this from the first fire, not that they weren't all following the case in their way.

Well, all but the one who'd shut himself up in the lab, at least.

Ikki took off his sunglasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “On paper, he's just on leave, but that doesn't mean he'll take the order.”

Waka eyed the ruin in front of them. Shin swore he could now make out the charred remains of a body. “He doesn't have a choice.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few discoveries are made, but mostly Orion's just a bit confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured it would be simpler if Orion used one of the honorifics for older sister for the heroine, as he's not a spirit in this world. It's a bit awkward trying to find the right name for the heroine as everyone uses a different one, but it fit to have him use "big sister" for her, so there's at least that.
> 
> I struggled to get the timing right on this chapter's revelation, as it wanted to come too soon and then too late or not at all. It's kind of necessary, though. It has been fun writing the boys as more of a team, though. I like that they can all get along and as Ukyo pointed out in Shin's route, they can become comfortable and build bonds with each other easily regardless of their worlds and if they're strangers at first.

* * *

Ikki took out his phone, checking for a response again with a frown. Usually by now, Ken had said he wasn't going to make it, as he had the last few times he'd canceled on Ikki at the last minute. Frustrating as it was, Ikki kind of expected it, since the anniversary was near and Ken got worse last year around this same time. He was still better than he had been, seeing as he'd been unable to leave his lab last year, period, and not just because his rehabilitation was incomplete, but it wasn't good, either.

“Not even a text?” Shin asked, and Toma looked over like he was trying to see the screen. Too many detectives around here. Ikki knew that Ken wouldn't want all of them knowing his business. He'd dropped contact with most of them following the incident, and only Ikki had seen him in person since he left the hospital.

“He's really late now, isn't he?” Ukyo spoke quietly, but his words were no less troublesome than Shin's were.

Ikki felt Waka's eyes on him and nodded as he pushed the button to make the call. Ikki doubted that they'd get him down here on his own two feet, but he should know that the task force was reforming and he was expected to be a part of it again.

“Wait,” Waka said, holding up a hand. “Does anyone else hear that?”

Ikki frowned, an unpleasant instinct making itself known in his gut. He knew that tone—they all did—that was the special one that Shin had put on Ken's phone as a joke and Ken had assigned to Ikki to irritate him.

“He wouldn't have gone in there,” Ikki said, looking back at the ruined building. Ken was too logical to enter a burning warehouse, for one thing, but with his current issues, it would have been impossible.

“The phone would have burned,” Shin said, and Ikki nodded. That, too. It would have gone up as fast as the rest of that building did, and they wouldn't be hearing anything from it now.

“There,” Ukyo said, pointing across the street and lowering his camera lens. “I think I saw someone—”

Ikki didn't wait for him to finish, taking off at a run. He'd tell himself it was nothing and ignore it, but the last time any of them did that, Ken had ended up in the hospital for months and others wound up in the ground. That wasn't happening again, not to Ikki's first true friend.

Most people outside of the task force still thought of Ikki as an actor or even a model, nothing but a beautiful person, and he hated it. He had tried to leave that life behind, but since they'd made him the 'face' of the police department, using him for recruitment and other press, that was still all anyone saw.

Even back when he was still acting, though, Ken had always treated him like a normal person. That mattered today as much as it did back then.

“Ken?” Ikki called out as he got closer, but what he saw instead stopped him short. A kid, scuffed up and dirty like he'd been in that fire, his hooded sweatshirt covered in enough soot to show against the gray fabric. He had more ash on his hands and face and tears in his pants.

“Uh...”

“Sorry,” Ikki said, aware of the others coming up behind him. Shin and Toma were loud when they ran, and Ukyo, well, his equipment tended to clatter. Waka would show up out of nowhere in a minute. “I didn't mean to startle you. Were you there, in the fire?”

He thought he heard Shin snort behind him, but he ignored it. Ikki was aware the kid had been there, but he was trying to ease into it, not wanting to scare the boy off.

“Um,” the kid began again. “Wait, aren't you Ikki? From that television show? What are you doing here?”

Ikki sighed. He didn't feel like explaining this again. Even the others weren't amused enough to laugh at it this time. “No, I'm—”

“Ikkyu.”

The sound of Ken's voice had Ikki almost pushing past the kid to get a look around the dumpster to see his friend there on his hands and knees next to a woman who had clearly been in the fire as well. Ken's eyes were closed, and his breathing was ragged.

“My sister,” the boy told Ikki. “He... he got her out, carried here here, but then... I don't know. He made a bandage for the cut on her leg, but then he... stopped. He's been like this ever since. I couldn't get him to respond, and... I didn't know what to do. I heard the sirens, but I... I couldn't leave her.”

Ikki didn't have to look at the others to know they were frowning to hear of Ken's odd behavior. He couldn't blame the kid for being confused. He knelt down next to his friend. “Ken, it's not her. It's not your mother.”

Ken shuddered. “I... I know... but... I can't... can't stop seeing her. I... it is illogical... but it won't stop. It never stops.”

“You think you can move?” Ikki asked, aware of the others pressing closer. “We're going to need to get a better look at her.”

Ken nodded shakily, but when it came time to move, he faltered, stopping and trembling instead. He took several deep breaths, but still didn't manage to move.

“Hey, Kento,” Toma said, kneeling down next to Ikki. “You want some help?”

“No. Don't—please don't touch me. It... It makes it worse,” Ken choked out, forcing himself back against the other building, still shuddering. “Take her... please...”

“I've got her,” Shin said, slipping past them to lift the girl up into his arms. He gave Ken another glance, frowning, but he focused on the woman instead, picking her up with more care than one would have expected from the gruff undercover agent. “Come with me. I'll take her to the ambulance.”

“You should go, too,” Toma said, nudging him along behind Shin. “Looks like it was rough for you, too, and who knows how much smoke you inhaled.”

The boy nodded, letting himself be led for a bit, but then he turned back and stopped. “Should... he see the ambulance, too?”

Ikki almost shook his head, but Ken had been exposed to the smoke, too, so they probably should, especially after his lungs were compromised before, but Ken was going to have to calm down a bit first.

“I'll see to him,” Ikki said, aware of Ukyo taking more pictures, this time of this alley. He frowned a bit, but the other man gave him a smile and moved on with the others. If Waka had been watching, he left as silently as he'd come, but Ikki was sure the man knew what had happened here.

Ikki sat down next to his friend. Ken gave him a weak look.

“You did good, you know? I would have said that just about you making it close to the restaurant this time around, but hell, look at you,” Ikki said. “You're a hero. Faced the worst and saved the day.”

“Remind me to make your next math problem impossible to solve,” Ken whispered, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. “The boy's choice was illogical... and yet... I followed him, which made my own choice that much more illogical than his was. I can't... I don't even fully remember making it.. there is this... fog... from when I saw the fire... to when I was looking at her burns...”

Ikki didn't think that was all that surprising. “You don't have to feel guilty about that. Just relax a bit. I want you to get checked out by the paramedics before we go.”

“I calculated the likely level of my exposure to the smoke. It's minimal, and such intervention is unnecessary.”

That was so like Ken it made Ikki laugh, relieved to know his friend was coming back to himself. “I don't care. You're still seeing the doctor.”

* * *

“Um,” Orion looked around at the men surrounding him as they walked, not sure what to think of them. They all seemed to know each other, even the one that had helped his sister earlier. He didn't understand that. Yeah, he'd heard that man's phone ring before the others came, but it was still strange. They must have come looking for him, but why were they here?

They were helping, mostly, and he couldn't forget that as rude as the other man had been, as much as Orion had thought he was a jerk, he'd still come to save them from the fire. If he hadn't, both Orion and his sister would probably be dead now, since he hadn't been able to wake her or lift her and then that wall had caved in, and he'd thought they were as good as dead then.

“Relax, kid,” the guy in the striped shirt said, “it's not far to the ambulance. They're just on the other side of the building, past the smoke.”

That wasn't really what Orion had been about to ask, but that was good to know. “Actually, I wanted to know... Who are all of you? I mean, that was Ikki, wasn't it? He said he wasn't, but everyone knows Ikki from television.”

The photographer gave him a small smile. “That is true. Ikki is still very popular.”

“Says the man whose photographs go for thousands when they're not of crime scenes,” the other man said, a smile on his face. He'd been the one to urge Orion along with them, but he didn't know his name. Still. This was getting a little irritating.

The photographer reddened. “I'm not that famous. Most people don't recognize me on sight.”

“No, that's true. Most of the time you're behind the camera, after all,” the other man said. He smiled at Orion again. “Ukyo here is pretty humble most times, but he does good work. Waka even decorates his office with them, which is a pretty big compliment in of itself.”

“Waka?” Orion asked, looking over at the man holding Neesan. “Is... that his name?”

“No, that's my brother, Shin, and I'm Toma,” he answered. “Sorry. We should have introduced ourselves earlier. You even asked us to just a minute ago. You want to tell us your names?”

“Well...” Orion still didn't know everything about them, but Toma was nice, and they were taking them to an ambulance, right? Plus they were friends with the man who'd helped them earlier, so they couldn't all be bad, so he could forgive them for forgetting to give him names. It wasn't anything suspicious, right? “I'm Orion, and she's Neesan.”

The man holding his sister looked back at him with a slight frown. “There is a real name that goes with that, isn't there?”

Orion shrugged. “Yes?”

Shin stopped, and this time his suspicion was plain to see. “Why is that a question?”

Orion sighed. He didn't really want to talk about it, but he supposed they wouldn't understand if he didn't explain. “It's only ever been me and Neesan. She's told me about our parents, but I don't remember them. She took care of me. She's all I have, but... she's always been Neesan to me.”

“I see,” Ukyo said, sounding almost sad about it. Orion did not know that there was any reason to be, since he'd never been sad with Neesan. It was only after she disappeared that he'd ever had to worry. “I was alone for a long time myself after my grandparents died. It's only been more recently that I found something close to family again.”

He smiled at the other men with fondness, making it clear they were part of that family.

“Don't get weepy now,” Shin told him, starting to walk again. “Family is overrated.”

“Spoken like a true younger brother,” Toma said, sounding amused. He had a big grin on his face, and Orion decided he liked Toma a lot, even if he disagreed about the younger brother comment. He'd never say anything like that about Neesan.

“Wait, so that means... you're family with Ikki? That has to be so cool,” Orion said. “Like on the show, when he was—”

“Acting?” Shin snorted. “That was a character, not really Ikki. If his fan club only knew...”

“Shin,” Toma said, shaking his head. He turned to Orion. “Ikki's actually a nice guy. He's just not quite the same as the guy you saw on screen. He's secretly a nerd and likes math, of all things. He joined the task force as a forensic accountant.”

“A what?”

“It's a fancy name for someone who can figure out where the money's hidden,” Toma explained. “And he's really good at it, but no one knows it to look at him.”

“Oh.” Orion wasn't sure about the math thing, but then neither he nor Neesan were very good at that subject. She kept saying when she earned more money, she would hire him a tutor, but her job at the cafe didn't pay all that much.

“I don't understand it, either,” Ukyo admitted. “And being in the same room with him and Kent can be very intimidating when they're that smart.”

“Kent,” Orion said. That was the man who'd saved Neesan, right? Toma had called him Kento, but Ikki had said Ken. That was three different versions, but all the same man, right? “Do you all call him something different?”

“No, we call him Kent. Toma was just calling him Kento to be cute,” Shin muttered, shaking his head. “He's not, but he thinks he is.”

“I thought it might help calm him down,” Toma said. “That's all. I was just trying to help.”

Orion looked at him. Could he ask? That whole thing with Kent was still strange, worrying him. He didn't know what had made him like that. The whole thing was weird and even a little scary. He looked back at the alley. The others hadn't moved.

“Are you worried about Kent?” Toma asked. “He's in good hands with Ikki. They've known each other for years. Actually, I think that Kent's the one that got him hooked on math. His parents hired Kent as his tutor back when he was still on the show.”

“Wow. Then they've been friends for a long time,” Orion said. He wanted a friend like that, one that would be for life. He had Neesan, but that was different. She was his sister. He looked over at her again. She was going to be okay, wasn't she? “Neesan...”

“We're almost there,” Toma told him. “Try not to worry too much.”

* * *

It was hard not to worry when he couldn't see what the paramedics were doing to his sister. Others had looked at Orion and put a mask over his face, but he couldn't see what they were doing with Neesan. He didn't know what to think, sitting here and fidgeting in the ambulance.

Orion wanted to believe he wasn't too late, that he'd found his sister in time, but he didn't know. Maybe if he'd run to find someone sooner? He'd thought they'd be okay once she woke, but she hadn't woken up again, and that guy that helped them, he was just weird.

So were his friends. Nice, but weird.

“How much longer does he have to be under the mask?” Shin asked the paramedic, and Toma frowned at him. He shrugged. “We need to start asking some questions.”

“You shouldn't push too soon. We can wait until we know what's happening with his sister.”

“You're coddling him,” Shin said. He eyed Orion. “You seem like a pretty tough kid. You think you can handle answering some questions or not?”

Orion nodded. He didn't know how much help he could be, but he wasn't too scared to do it, either. He pulled down his mask. The paramedic reached over and put it back over his mouth.

“At least five more minutes, detective,” the paramedic said. She gave him a stern look. “He's fortunate he doesn't need monitoring overnight.”

“He'll likely end up at the hospital anyway with his sister,” Toma said. “They'll take good care of him there.”

Orion grimaced. He didn't want to go to the hospital, though at least he'd be with Neesan. He sighed into the mask and tried to be patient. He wanted to get out of here.

“Ukyo,” Shin said in a low voice, and the other man looked up from his camera with a frown. “Distract her.”

“Me?”

“Do you see Ikki around here?” Shin asked, folding his arms over his chest. “Just talk about the camera. It always works.”

Ukyo frowned. “I don't think it works as well as you think it does.”

“Don't make me punch you,” Shin muttered, rolling his eyes. Ukyo continued to frown at him, but Toma pushed him forward, almost bumping him into the paramedic.

“Sorry,” Ukyo told her. “I'm afraid I'm a little clumsy. Bad trait for a photographer, right?”

She smiled at him, and it was like her whole face changed as she followed him around the other side of the ambulance. Orion watched it with a frown, looking over at Shin, who was still muttering to himself under his breath. Toma didn't look that pleased, either. Did they not like Ukyo that much?

“I swear, he'd get more women than Ikki in a contest,” Toma said, shaking his head. “Okay, you got a few minutes, Shin. What was so damned important you had to rush her off?”

Shin snorted. “We have two live witnesses to that horror show, and you think we should just wait around for them to volunteer information?”

Orion frowned. He was willing to talk, but what did he mean, horror show? The fire?

“I think that we can wait while he gets the medical treatment he needs,” Toma said. “It won't be that long, and he's willing to help us. You don't have to push so hard.”

“We won't be able to talk if they go to the hospital. And if she is his guardian, what do you think they're going to do with him?” Shin asked. “They'll give him over to some government idiot to pad their numbers on welfare cases and—”

“What? No!” Orion jumped up, yanking the mask off and starting to run toward the other ambulance. He had to get to Neesan. He wasn't leaving her.

“Wait, Orion! Stop, kid!”

He didn't, turning the corner and smacking right into something tall and dark. He stumbled, and something caught him by the collar, holding him up. He pulled on the hand holding him, trying to get free. They weren't going to keep him from his sister any longer.

“Let go.”

“That would be irresponsible and borderline criminally negligent under the circumstances,” the man holding him said, and Orion frowned, blinking in confusion when he saw that Kent was the one holding him. Wait, when did he get here? And was that Ikki with him?

“Um, no, it's not. I just need to get to my sister and things will be fine,” Orion told him. “Really. It's okay. They already saw me at the ambulance and—”

“I believe you lost something,” Kent said, and Orion frowned, but he turned and saw Shin, Toma, and Ukyo had caught up to them. Oh, that meant the paramedic wasn't distracted now. Would she come looking for Orion? He didn't want to go back under the mask. He just wanted to see his sister again.

“Uh...”

“Nice catch, Kent,” Toma said, smiling. “Did they already get you under the mask? They wanted this one under for a bit longer, and since you were in there, too, then you probably should get checked out if you haven't already.”

“You are such a mom,” Shin muttered, and Toma glared at him.

Ikki smiled. “Ah, Ken keeps trying to tell me he's calculated his level of smoke inhalation and doesn't need it.”

Ukyo frowned. “Earlier, when we were in the alley—”

Kent let Orion go, folding his arms over his chest when he was done. “I understand that given the pathetic nature of the spectacle I made earlier you would be concerned, but I have returned to the level of anxiety that has become the current standard of my existence and there is no further need of concern. I will function in a way much closer to my previous patterns of behavior from this point forward.”

Orion blinked. Had Kent just said that he was okay now? But then... what was that back there in the alley? Or even before that, when he was standing on the street and didn't hear the laughing creep or see Orion until he'd yanked on his coat?

Shin shook his head. “Throw all the big words you want at us. It doesn't change the fact that you kept this from us.”

“I find it curious you would object to such an omission,” Kent countered. “I hardly believe you would admit to such behavior were our positions reversed.”

“Man has a point,” Toma said, and Shin glared at him. Orion figured they were always like that, but maybe if everyone was focused on Kent, he could slip away and get to Neesan?

Kent caught him again as he started to move, and Orion sighed as he was passed over to the man next to him. “Ikkyu, please tell me this sensation that everyone is looking at us is because you are present.”

“Well,” Ikki grinned, ruffling Orion's hair in amusement. “I won't say that I don't think I'm the best looking guy here, but I'm told I've got stiff competition on the task force, and since we're all here for a change... It's probably not just me.”

“Why are you even bothering to pretend they're not staring because he's back?” Shin asked. “You're not doing him any favors by lying.”

“Yeah, I think I have to agree with Shin,” Toma said, looking thoughtful. “That rumor was going around that you died, too, Kent, so I'm sure it's a bit of a shock to see you here. Alive.”

“This is tedious,” Kent said, turning and walking away from them without another word. Orion blinked, really confused now. What just happened? What was with that guy?

“Rude. Again,” Orion said, this time managing to free his shirt from Ikki's distracted hold. “What is wrong with him?”

“Well, he was always blunt,” Ukyo said, “at least as long as I've known him, but he's also changed a lot since the yakuza tried to kill him.”

Orion stared at them. “What?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orion learns more, but the investigation is at a standstill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of insecurity about this story, and I have a bad habit of saying too much about that. I guess if anyone really wants to see me angsting over this story, they could see some thoughts [here](https://writteninweakness.tumblr.com/), but it's more than likely better if they don't.

* * *

“There is a completed resignation form sitting on my desk at home,” Kent said, not looking back as the other man approached. “I should have brought it today, but I did not know I would see anyone other than Ikkyu, who has refused to deliver it for me in the past.”

“I myself would not accept it if he had,” Waka said, folding his arms behind him as he stood next to Kent. His eyes were on the ruins before them. “I did not believe you were the sort that gave in.”

Kent snorted. “Oh, I have my share of cowardice the same as anyone, and it is illogical to believe I am of any use in my current state. As it is, it was not the games Ikkyu and I used to play that made me aware of your approach but the hypervigilance which has been constant since that day. I did not jump this time, but I am certain you are aware of my earlier weakness in the alley. You needn't bother lying. I might not have seen you, but you are too good a commander not to know.”

Waka smiled faintly. He was not the sort that most complimented, but then Kent wasn't flattering him, either. Waka knew his people, he kept himself informed of their location and condition, and he expected the best of them. He had frequently shown himself to be well aware of all details of their cases in the past, even ones that those operating undercover like Shin had yet to disclose.

“The reports from the doctors say you are fully healed.”

Kent could not deny it. “Physically, yes. The scars are minimal, and most damage was not permanent.”

“Then you should be aware that you've been recalled to active duty.”

Kent tried not to flinch. “I feel that is unwise. While the physical wounds have healed, no amount of will on my part can contain my irrational responses to certain stimuli. My current test of wills is starting to falter in ways I do not care to admit.”

Waka eyed the charred wall and nodded. “It would be a fire that brought you back to us. A fitting challenge, as it is your greatest at present.”

Were Waka another sort of man, Kent might wonder if he was mocking him. He would consider such an act from most of the other members of the task force, but some claimed that Waka had even less of a sense of humor than Kent did. He could not help that many people were too ignorant to get his jokes. He did find he amused at least Ikki and Waka at times, and sometimes everyone, though that was rarer and frequently unintentional.

“I hardly find this... fitting.” Kent said, his stomach churning again with the sight before him. He did not know that he could stand here much longer without fleeing and causing an even more pathetic display than he had in the alleyway earlier.

“Your struggle begins with the fire. You cannot overcome it by running away.”

Kent winced. “In truth, there is nowhere to run. The memories and emotions resurface regardless of my location.”

“That is true, and yet you must realize you are running from yourself,” Waka said. “You did not fail them, Kent.”

“You can say that after what I've done?” Kent did not believe it himself. They were logical people. His current state defied reason, was all based on emotions and could not be fixed despite his best research into his condition and every step he'd taken to alleviate its symptoms.

“Blaming yourself for surviving is a separate matter,” Waka said. “No one holds you responsible for what happened but you.”

Kent nodded. “The man behind the orders should probably consider himself fortunate that he was already in prison, as Ikkyu was very much inclined to violence at the time.”

“All of us were,” Waka said, and Kent frowned at him. “Do not discount the bonds that this team has forged simply because you have chosen to step away from them. You all had a place you filled that cannot easily be replaced by another, or did you actually believe that the team was disbanded over the budget?”

“I would not pride myself so much that I were so necessary in ability or even... respect that I should be the reason the team fractured. I would place that role elsewhere, on those who make it possible for the others to get along despite their bickering or differences and those no one can complain against even if they want to.”

Waka nodded. “Perhaps.”

“You cannot assign me the same value as Shin or Toma, as few people are willing to talk to me, and I could never work undercover like they do. Ikkyu as well is much better with people than I am and still manages to be competent with numbers. And Ukyo is well liked and never misses a detail in his photographs, often observing the exact thing needed to resolve the case.”

“And yet without someone to connect these pieces, what are they but pieces?”

“I think I prefer your silence to your riddles.”

Waka smiled again. “It is good to have you back, Kent.”

* * *

“Nice, Ukyo. Anyone ever tell you that you have a big mouth?” Shin muttered in annoyance, looking at the kid's face. Toma shook his head, knowing his brother was worried about their witness and once again being himself and refusing to show it.

Ukyo flinched, turning to Orion. “I'm sorry. Most everyone knows about it, and I didn't say it to frighten you, only to explain.”

“He's right that Kent's been different since it happened,” Toma said, trying to find the best way of talking about this that wouldn't make it worse and really scare the kid. “This wasn't a huge yakuza family or anything, and most of them are in prison now.”

“Yeah, they were more like idiot upstarts that thought they were bigger and badder than they were,” Shin said, shaking his head. “More like bullies than anything. Morons kept bragging about what they'd done, and it didn't take much to find what we needed against them.”

“Couple days, I think,” Toma said, thinking back to his part in it. Between him and Shin, they'd had a few promising leads within hours, and Kent's lab work did the rest. Ukyo's photos connected some of the dots, but the main part had been what Kent pieced together forensically, which was why he'd gotten all the focus at the trial.

That, and the other part.

“Kent's mom was an attorney,” Ikki said, looking at Waka and Kent as he spoke. Toma knew he was trying to contain his own emotions. Kent's family had taken Ikki in after he split from his parents to give up acting, something his own parents had never forgiven for, and losing them had hit Ikki pretty hard, too.

Orion frowned. “What does that mean? Did she defend that guy?”

Toma shook his head. “She actually prosecuted the case. Between her and Kent, the guy didn't stand a chance. Kent made him look like a fool—”

“He was a fool. His hiding place was completely obvious.”

“Yeah, it was,” Toma said, agreeing to Shin's comment. “Anyway, the guy was too dumb to let it go and serve his time quietly. Or his followers were. They set a bomb at Kent's parents' house on their usual family dinner night and burned the place down. Kent survived. His parents didn't.”

“Oh.” Orion winced, and Shin elbowed Toma, but all he could do was shrug. He couldn't change the past. What happened happened. Kent was damned lucky he'd been on his way out when the bomb went off or he'd be dead, too, and Ikki blamed himself because he was supposed to join them that night and didn't because of some girl.

The whole thing was one giant nightmare, really, but he didn't want the boy knowing that.

“The main thing you need to remember is that almost all of those people are in jail now, so you don't have to worry about them,” Toma said. A few stragglers were still out there, smarter members who'd either gone into retirement or joined other yakuza families, but they hadn't been heard from since the main group was put away. Then again, a few of them hadn't been heard from, period, and Toma knew they wouldn't be.

“We do need to know about the fire, though,” Shin told him. “What happened here? What were you doing here? And your sister?”

“We didn't do anything wrong!” Orion immediately protested. “I didn't know there was a fire until it was almost too late to get Neesan out, and she tried to make it to the door, but she was hurt, and I had to get help and—I want to see Neesan.”

The boy's eyes filled up like he might cry, and Toma gave Shin a pointed look. They had to back off until the kid knew his sister was going to be okay.

“Let's get you over to see her,” Toma said, guiding him toward the other ambulance. As they got closer, he could see the paramedics getting ready to pack up, so looked like they were just in time, really.

“Wait!” Orion called out, running the last few steps. “You can't just take her like that.”

“This here's her brother,” Toma said. “And he's very worried about her. Can you tell us a bit about how she's doing?”

“Oh, well,” the man grimaced, clearly not wanting to say anything. “I'm not a doctor.”

“Just an idea of what to expect,” Toma said. “Not asking for a diagnosis or any promises.”

“She has a few first and second degree burns, but it doesn't look like it's more serious than that, not from what I've seen. The cut on her leg caused her to lose a lot of blood, but someone stopped it with a tourniquet, which makes her rather lucky. She's still unresponsive, and there may be more injuries we're unaware of.”

Toma nodded. Not good, but not the worst news they'd gotten about a witness, either. “Thanks.”

Orion eyed the paramedic and then climbed into the ambulance without asking for permission. He crawled over to his sister's side and took her hand. “Neesan.”

“Hey, you can't—”

“O... Orion...” The girl whispered, and her brother sighed in relief, leaning over to hug her. She gave a soft moan, and the paramedic frowned. Orion backed away, wincing. “No... don't... leave...”

Toma looked at the paramedic. “I think you'd better let him stay.”

* * *

“Makes you wonder why you ever signed on to do this job, doesn't it?” Ikki asked, coming to stand next to Kent at the edge of the building. It wasn't what he really wanted to say, but he knew Ken wouldn't want to answer, so he didn't bother asking how his friend was. This was bad, they knew it was bad, and even though Ken had managed to compose himself enough to walk over to the others, he was struggling, and Ikki could see the strain.

“Knowing you, Ikki, I'd say it was for the girls except you already had plenty of that kind of attention before you switched jobs,” Shin said as he joined them. “Which means it's so assholes who do this sort of thing don't get away with it.”

Ikki managed a small smile. Few would believe him that altruistic, and he knew he wasn't. He'd gotten interested when a fellow child actor's manager was ripping him off, using what he knew of economics and mathematics to find the embezzlement, and when Ken asked him to do the same for the police department, he'd agreed. He didn't mind the work, though he knew he could do it many other places. He'd stayed on because of the task force, though he had almost quit himself two years ago.

“Toma managed to get himself a ride in the ambulance with the boy and his sister, the jerk.”

“I figured he might,” Ikki said. “Doubted they wanted a boy that age riding in the back alone, even if he is her brother and might need more care himself. Ukyo trying to get more pictures?”

Shin nodded. “He said he wanted to get as much as he could before the arson team trampled the scene. Still crap that they can go in when our people can't.”

“Arguably they are in a better position to know whether or not the structure is safe enough to enter,” Ken said. “That is a part of their job, not ours.”

Shin shrugged. “Then they should do it already. We're losing time here, and there are definitely bodies in there.”

Ken flinched. “Of course, but that does not mean we can rush them any more than you would want someone rushing you in your attempt to get information.”

Shin snorted. “Like there weren't plenty of people interfering with getting more from that kid. He could have seen everything, but between the paramedic's meddling and Toma's coddling and talking about you, we got nothing.”

“He seemed quite talkative before.”

“Yeah?” Shin asked, frowning at Ken. “Speaking of, what did you see? You were here around when it happened. You even went in there, so... what do you know?”

“Very little of use,” Ken admitted. “It becomes rather... vague after the first whiff of smoke came my way. I remember walking toward the restaurant, and then... the smell. There's nothing distinct for a while after that, not until the alleyway.”

Shin stared at him in disbelief. “You're kidding, right?”

“Regretfully, no,” Ken said. He lowered his head. “The phenomenon that I currently experience is dissociative, in that I am distanced from my actions and surroundings. It is not always a flashback, as they are commonly called, but it can be, as I will somehow find myself reliving the night of my parents' death instead of the current date and time. I believe that my mind confused the girl I rescued with my previous attempt to save my mother, but... even that I have to doubt as I cannot recall it clearly.”

“Damn it.”

“To preempt your next question, I have been given medication and other therapies for this condition. I find they have little effect, but I am repeatedly told that this is a 'process,' and I should not expect a miracle, quick fix, or even a speedy recovery.”

Shin nodded. “Suppose they're right. My dad never did get over what he did. 'Course, he also drank himself to death after he got out of prison.”

“Is that a hint? Should I also state that I have not been self-medicating or abusing alcohol?”

“Why do you always take things the wrong way?”

“Why do you always persist in stating things in a manner likely to cause offense and then get irritated when offense is taken?”

Ikki wanted to laugh at the two of them, thinking he'd kind of missed this banter between them. Ken's bluntness mixed with Shin's bitterness could be very entertaining, even more so when Toma was in the middle of it.

Shin shook his head. “I hear you talk like that, and I wonder why anyone missed you at all.”

“I believe the same has been said many times of your own temperament,” Ken told him. “Though I understand your incredulity. I see no reason why I would be missed.”

Shin shrugged, looking away and not offering any response. Ikki shook his head. They were all friends, sort of, with a bit of rivalry going on at times, but nothing major, and while they didn't always agree on the best method to get things done, they were a damned good team when it mattered.

“You were, though, so just accept that already,” Ikki told him. He looked at the rubble and grimaced. “Though, honestly, I wish it was something else that brought you back to us.”

“I'm not back.”

“Waka said you didn't have a choice, and you didn't submit that resignation yet, even if you did fill it out, and knowing Waka, he won't let you file it.”

“I'm not back,” Ken repeated, walking away and leaving them there.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was actually really excited when I got to this part because this idea seemed really cool and interesting and maybe even an homage, but then when it came to writing it, I couldn't get it how I wanted it to be over and over again. I wanted it to be perfect, and I know it's not. I just really like these characters and want to do more with them, even if I can't get them quite right.

* * *

Kent knew it was only a matter of time before one of the others ran up to stop him from leaving. While he wanted to argue that he did it for logical reasons, knowing well that he was of no help in his current state, he knew a part of it was his own pride—and shame—not wishing to be seen in a compromised position again. He had already embarrassed himself far too much since he left the house, no matter what Ikkyu claimed about his heroism.

He had never really thought of himself as such a person, and had so many people not accepted that version of events, he would doubt them himself. The child's story didn't seem like him at all, and he had no memory of those events.

Still, he did not believe Shin would accept that or that his behavior did not have Ikkyu worried again. Ikkyu had seen far too much of Kent's poor condition over the past two years, though Kent had managed to mislead him to some degree regarding the severity of his symptoms, if only by omission and absence.

Now, though, Ikkyu had seen far too much, and he would not leave Kent alone. He would be along soon enough, but depending on the level of Shin's anger, he might be the one to make it first, demanding that Kent stay and tough it out. Shin wasn't very tolerant of other people's weaknesses, though Kent would say the same about himself.

He certainly had little patience with himself of late. Though he was experiencing what he was told was a natural reaction to trauma, it still seemed excessive, especially for someone like him, who had never been particularly emotional in the first place. In some sense, he felt Ikkyu mourned the loss of his parents more than Kent himself did. That said, it was highly disconcerting for their death—violent and unnatural as it had been—to exert this much power over him.

 _“Feelings aren't about logic. You don't_ choose _how you feel. You just... feel it.”_

_“That is hardly sound basis for an argument,” Kent said, but even as he did, he found himself smiling rather irrationally at his opponent's weak position. “That is to be expected of you, though, since you base most of your arguments on emotions themselves and do not supplement them with enough facts or other evidence, even anecdotal cases.”_

_“Oh, you. Not everything has to be properly supported to be valid. Feelings are valid. What about the food you just ate? Don't you think that your reaction to it is emotional? I mean, what about someone who hates vegetables? Or who only likes sweets? Those choices aren't just made by how precisely the cook followed the recipe. Even the recipe might not make it that good. It's how it tastes to you that decides whether or not it's good. That's not logical. It's a feeling.”_

_“I think you are slightly confused, though that is the best argument you've presented thus far,” he said, since he didn't think one could qualify taste as an emotion, though he understood what was underneath that flawed premise, and he was pleased to see something had been learned from his earlier admonitions._

Kent put a hand to his head, wincing. Where had that even come from? It was one thing to relive finding his mother in the wreckage of their home while near a fire and tending to a wounded female, but this? That was some pointless conversation. He couldn't even remember the name of the person he had it with or anything else about it, not where or when it had occurred.

“Ken?” Ikkyu sounded worried, and Kent wondered if he had been unresponsive again, as he had been when the boy tried to rouse him earlier. How long had it lasted this time? “You... You spaced out on me again. I figured we'd find you much further from here than this, but you barely made it around the building.”

“Yeah, it's kind of messed up,” Shin added, frowning at him. “You didn't even hear your phone. Again.”

“My phone?” Kent repeated, thinking he should have at least noticed it vibrating in his pocket, as he had before to rather embarrassing result. Ikkyu still laughed about the occasions he'd seen it, though that was before the bombing, as everything seemed to separate by that night, into what was then and what came after. “You called me? What, in the hopes that I would stop?”

Shin shook his head. “Like we'd bother. Come on, you said it yourself. You're useless right now. And if you're not going to change that, then you don't need to be here.”

“Your tough love is really not what he needs right now,” Ikkyu said, frowning at Shin. He turned to Kent. “Do you want me to call—”

“No,” Kent said, not wanting to speak of his treatment any more than he already had, and certainly not his mandatory visits to the therapist. 

His phone rang again, and this time he heard it, digging it out of his pocket. He frowned at the screen, not recognizing the number. He would have ignored it if he was alone, but he was not.

“Yes?”

“Good to hear your voice, Kento,” Toma said on the end of the line. “You want to tell me why our witness was carrying around your business card?”

* * *

“We've taken her back for more tests,” the nurse explained, giving Toma a warm smile, but Orion wasn't smiling. They'd taken Neesan away, and he hadn't been able to see her. He didn't know if she was still awake or if she was gone again, and if she was in pain or if she died—he didn't want to think about that.

He loved her. She was all the family he had, but more than that, Neesan was special. He knew others would say he only thought that because she was his sister, but that wasn't true. Her friends saw it, right? And if she was awake to talk, all these detectives would know it, too.

“Does she have any family?”

Toma looked down at Orion, a question in his eyes. He shook his head. He'd already told them this—all the detectives and at least one other nurse. He didn't know why they felt like they had to keep asking. Did they think he was lying? Why would he lie about that?

Or did they think Neesan had, keeping the knowledge of other relatives from him?

He used to wonder sometimes, since he thought maybe their other family blamed him, like they thought he was responsible for their parents dying or something. He had blamed himself sometimes, even when Neesan insisted it wasn't his fault. She told him it was an accident, but what if it wasn't?

“Our parents are gone. It's just me and Neesan.”

“Oh, dear,” the nurse said, and Orion frowned. “There isn't anyone else we can contact for her? Anyone who might have more information?”

Orion shrugged. “Her friends might know, maybe, the loud ones, but she always called them or they called her. I don't know their numbers.”

“What about names for those loud ones?” Toma asked, giving him an encouraging smile. He really was nice. Orion liked him, and he didn't want to disappoint him, but he knew he wasn't going to be much help.

“Neesan called them Sawa and Mine. They were friends from work,” Orion explained. “I think she knew Sawa before her job, like they were friends in school, but Mine I think just worked with them. I don't know anything else, though, since they didn't usually come to our house. I'm not sure they liked me much.”

“Can't see why not,” Toma told him. “Well, it's a start. Maybe those names will jog your sister's memory, and we'll get something more from her later.”

“I hope so,” Orion said. It worried him that Neesan hadn't remembered him. They were too close for that, and it hurt, her not knowing who he was. “I want her to be okay and get all her memories back. Do you think—why would she forget? I mean... someone must have hurt her pretty badly, but... she forgot me. Me. I didn't think that was possible.”

“She's probably just confused and scared,” Toma said. “They haven't said anything about her brain being injured, so try not to worry too much.”

Orion folded his arms over his chest. Easy for Toma to say, but Orion couldn't help worrying. He'd seen Neesan's injuries and they were bad. He knew that even just as a kid.

“Are you sure you don't know more about her?”

“I know plenty. I'm her brother,” Orion said, insistent. “I know enough. Maybe not all the things you think I should know, but she always took care of me. She never wanted anything to happen like this, and she had it all ready in case something did, but... she didn't give that to me. She said she'd given it to someone she trusted. I thought maybe she meant Sawa, but when she didn't come home from work that night, Sawa didn't know anything about it.”

“Relax. We'll figure it out. Your sister's got a whole team of us to help her, and we're the best at what we do, or at least some of us think so.”

“Yeah, but—”

“I meant you,” the nurse said, addressing Toma and flushing, bowing in apology for being rude. “Um, you are a detective, right? This is your card?”

Toma reached over to take the bag she held out, and Orion stared at it, feeling queasy. Was all that red... That was Neesan's blood, wasn't it? That paper was covered in her blood. Toma frowned, and when he looked at Orion, he seemed like that nice guy he'd been was gone. What was this face? It was kind of scary.

“Did either of you get this from Kent earlier?”

Orion frowned. “What? From Kent? He barely spoke to us. He didn't give me any card, and I think I would have seen that, even if—well, how could he have? He had to get Neesan out from where the wall collapsed—okay, so he kind of carried both of us, but that's not important—and he didn't have time to give her a card unless it was when he was fixing that cut, but I don't think so. He took out that cloth from his pocket and he wrapped it on her and then... He started to look at her arm and just... stopped. It was weird.”

Toma grimaced. “Well, if you'd seen what his mom looked like after the bombing, it kind of makes sense. He wasn't all that much better in some ways. You just can't see his scars under that coat of his.”

“Really?” Orion hadn't realized that Kent had scars, too. He was so big and a bit scary—and definitely weird, even when he wasn't out of it. The way he talked? That was just odd.

Toma nodded, reaching over to ruffle Orion's hair. “Not that I should be telling you that.”

Orion wrinkled his nose at Toma. Only Neesan was allowed to do that to him. He didn't like it when other people did. He might be younger, but he'd always had to be a bit responsible because it was just him and Neesan. “Does that mean she met him before?”

“It might,” Toma said, and Orion knew there was something more he wasn't saying. “Guess we better see what Kent can tell us first.”

* * *

“I have already told you that I did not recognize this woman, though I would have been hard-pressed to recognize anything at the time,” Kent said, pinching the bridge of his nose like his head hurt. Shin wouldn't be surprised if it did, though it wasn't like it was brain damage causing all this. Kent was still irritatingly smart and in control of what he was saying and doing half the time.

Ikki nodded, still urging him toward the hospital doors. “I know that, so that is why you need to go in there and see her.”

Shin wondered if Kent was going to have another breakdown in the parking lot. He'd been quiet enough on the drive to where Shin had to smack Ikki to get him to stop looking at his friend—seriously, Shin should have been the one to drive, but every idiot had their opinions about his skills and he rarely got to be behind the wheel unless he was alone with Toma.

“I understand why you feel it is necessary,” Kent said, sounding a lot like he was about to start in on a lecture about why he wasn't going to do it. “And yet I can't help thinking that were she so important to me, I would have known her and already have answered this question.”

“You said it yourself,” Shin reminded him. “You were too out of it to recognize anyone.”

Kent grimaced. “I feel compelled to add that our current location is likely to make that happen again. I... I find I do not tolerate hospitals well, either.”

Shin shook his head. “Well, that's too bad, isn't it? We need to know what you know about this girl or if you even know her at all.”

That was the main thing. If Kent didn't recognize the woman, then it was the killer who'd put that card on her, and that meant this bastard had some kind of interest or connection to Kent.

If it was Ikki, they'd just assume it was some cute girl he flirted with, end of story, but Kent wasn't like that—one of the most popular rumors around the station was that Kent was asexual—Shin tried not to pay attention to any of the others. One thing he did know, though, was that Kent seemed incapable of flirting at all. Shin wouldn't be the only one to think Kent wasn't human, without any emotions or heart in him. No, it being Kent's card made things more complicated.

It wasn't like his enemies hadn't targeted him before, and hell, they'd almost won the last time.

“It's not like you go around giving out business cards to everyone,” Ikki said to Kent. “It could have been from a case, which should make it easier to remember, as it wasn't like the rest of us knew her, so it's one you worked before the task force.”

“You say that like Kent wasn't working with the police long before the rest of us were,” Shin said, since not only was Kent older than the rest of them, he'd been recruited earlier, lured in by some research grant to develop new forensic methods or something like that—Shin wasn't the only one to start tuning Kent out when he got on his mathematics high horse. Ikki was about the only one that bothered keeping up with him, though Waka also seemed to understand most of what Kent said, no matter how long the speech got—so he wasn't clear on how the police got him on their side.

He did know they were a lot better off for it, not that he'd tell Kent that. He couldn't even say that it was true now, just that it used to be.

“Agreed,” Ikki said. “But it didn't take them that long to assign us all together. I think that was half of why I got hired, honestly. If I hadn't helped out on that case you and Toma brought to Kent... I'd still be trying to live out my life in a cubicle at an accounting firm. What a nightmare.”

“Please. You have frequently remarked on how you would rather have the reliability and relative calm of such a job over the many downsides of this one. Though I am aware some of those comments were made in jest, you do at times wish you had stayed with a simpler life,” Kent said, frowning. “If this is an attempt to make me more comfortable with entering the building—You should know that I am not so easily distracted, nor am I unaware of the other possibility raised by that business card.”

Ikki winced. “Well, none of us thought you wouldn't figure that out, but you don't know that the killer put the card on her. There could be an innocent explanation for all this, which is why you need to go see her.”

“Just go in before I shove you in,” Shin muttered, not at all kidding about the threat. Maybe it was the wrong way to handle it, but he wasn't going to sit around and wait for Kent to feel better. He'd had two years for that already, even if part of that time he'd been hospitalized, and if this killer was after Kent, they needed to know now, not later. They might even need Kent for bait.

“I truly did not miss this part of working with you, Shin.”

Shin shrugged, not sure if that was about what he'd just said or if Kent knew him well enough to know what he'd been thinking just then. “I didn't miss working with you at all.”

Ikki shook his head. “Shin's lying. We all felt lost when the task force disbanded. Admit it, Shin. Undercover work isn't the same when it's just you and maybe Toma working the case. And how many times do you complain about the idiots in the lab who can't seem to run a test right without Kent there?”

Shin grunted. “Whatever. We're going in now.”

* * *

“Over here,” Toma said, waving the others to his side as soon as he saw Kent's tall frame in the hallway. He'd left Orion by his sister's bedside, ducking his head out of the door, since he knew they were coming and no hospital regulation was going to keep any of them away—Shin just ignored them, Ikki smooth talked his way around them, Ukyo just had to smile and lift the camera sometimes, and Kent got overly logical to the point where everyone conceded.

“They've stabilized her condition to the point of leaving her in a room already?” Kent asked, frowning. “Was I mistaken in my impression of her injuries? I had thought they were more severe.”

“The burns were only first and second degree,” Toma explained, since he'd gotten some information about her condition being the only one around for her besides Orion. “And while she could have bled out from that cut on her thigh, your first aid did the trick, so she'll make it. You didn't even cost her the leg.”

“Were you trying to be funny there, Toma? Because that wasn't funny.”

He shook his head. From what they'd told him, tourniquets could do as much harm as good, and given Kent's apparent mental state at the time, they were all lucky he'd done it right instead of wrong. “Whatever. Look, it wasn't like you got here all that fast. The kid was getting really worried while his sister was gone, and I still want to know what's up with that card.”

“He's got a point,” Shin said. “We didn't exactly set new traffic records or anything, and that thing in the parking lot didn't help, either.”

Toma frowned. “What?”

“Shin's just insulting my driving and getting a jab in at Ken while he's at it,” Ikki answered. At Toma's look, he added, “Ken had another panic attack on the way in.”

Kent didn't look at any of them. “I regret that my actions caused you so much embarrassment. Trust me, it is not any more pleasant for me, and had I any choice in the matter, I would not behave so disgracefully.”

Toma really didn't know what to say to that. Kent wasn't the sort of person who took reassuring easily, not even from Ikki, and he usually ignored Toma's attempts, even belittled them sometimes. “Well, they said they'd probably run more tests and check on her again in a bit, and knowing at least one nurse around here, they won't like how many of us we're trying to fit in. Where's Ukyo?”

“He wanted to stay at the scene and get as many pictures as he could to work with,” Shin answered, adding with a grimace. “I think he's planning on taking them to that weird friend of his that draws dead people's faces.”

“That might help us get names on our victims,” Toma said, though he wouldn't go see that guy if he didn't have to. Ukyo had met a lot of strange people in his travels, and he kept in touch with most of them. It could be useful, but it also meant dealing with some real weirdos. Some of them were useful—the artist who recreated the dead was, much as Toma didn't like to admit it—but some were just bizarre. “Since even now our girl shows no sign of knowing what happened in that warehouse.”

“You haven't gotten anything from the kid yet?” Shin demanded. “What have you been doing? You can't protect him from everything. We need to know what happened and what he might have seen.”

“If you two are going to continue to argue, I would like to be permitted into the room so that I may answer this question put to me and leave,” Kent said, drawing attention to himself again. “I have no intention of staying beyond this. No, I should clarify—I _will_ tell you what, if anything, I might know. That is, should I recognize this woman when I meet her with a clearer head. Also... I would like to see the card in question. There is a possibility that there is more to be learned from it than just my contact information.”

“Yeah, sure,” Toma said, taking it out. Shin made a grab for it, but Ikki was faster. He lowered his sunglasses and frowned.

“Well, it's not someone you ran into recently, that's for sure,” Ikki said, holding up the bag and studying the card from all angles. “I don't see that you wrote anything on it, but it's also not like you to give out a number you haven't had in over two years.”

“No, that would be inefficient,” Kent agreed, looking at the card. He tugged it out of Ikki's grasp and examined it closely, fiddling with his glasses. “I suppose this narrows the time frame of its creation and also its likely period of distribution. That is the number I got when the task force was formed and the one I kept until the harassment during the trial.”

Kent shuddered at those words, hastily shoving the bag at Shin. He turned away for a moment, leaning against the wall and taking several deep breaths. Ikki grimaced, and Shin frowned.

“Are you going to zone out again?”

“I have what some may describe as a myriad of 'triggers' for these episodes, and I seem to be finding one after another today,” Kent said. “I suppose I'd better take another look at the woman, though I did not recognize her brother earlier, and my head was clear at the time.”

Toma nodded, moving to open the door and let everyone into the room. Orion looked up as they entered, frowning, and Toma knew that meant his sister was still out of it. Damn.

Not that Kent was any better. Despite his words, he waited for the others to pass and then made no move to enter.

“You coming or what?”

Kent shook his head. “I may need longer. Or so my current inertia would suggest.”

Shin shook his head, muttering under his breath as he went inside. Ikki gave Kent another look, to which Kent shook his head and waved him on, folding his arms over his chest and either contemplating or maybe meditating, Toma wasn't sure.

He followed the others into the room, letting Kent have his space. It would be nice to get an answer from either Kent or the girl about how they knew each other—if they did—but Toma would try to be patient. He could tell Kent was having a rough time, all of them could.

Of course, none of them were willing to say what Toma knew they were all thinking—that the card wasn't the girl's at all. It belonged to the killer, and it was left behind as a sick message. And if it was, then this mess was on Kent—not that he was to blame, but if that card was left for him and that fire started when he was about to pass by—someone had meant to involve Kent.

That would seem to make their job easier—they should just look at that yakuza family again—but since most of them had been neutralized. The ones in prison shouldn't have that kind of reach anymore, and the rest were dead.

“O... Orion,” the woman croaked out, fumbling for his hand. She trembled, and the boy put his hand over hers.

“It's okay. Don't move. It hurts, remember?”

She nodded. “Yeah, that... I remember.”

“Just not your name or anything else of use, right?” Shin asked, not even bothering to start easy with her, even though she'd just woken up. Ikki glared at him, and Toma gave Shin a warning smack on the arm. He ignored both of them. “Your brother said you didn't recognize him. Yet you call him by name now.”

“I...” She frowned, looking over at the boy. “I know... you are... Orion... I don't... know... why... Nothing else... nothing has come back.”

She flushed a little, and Toma knew Shin wasn't the only one wondering if that meant she did but didn't want to say what it was. Why would she lie to them about that? Could she really want to hide something from them? 

She didn't look capable of that kind of killing, but then again, one never knew.

“You're sure all you know is his name?” Shin asked. “Not what you were doing in that warehouse, how you got there, nothing? What about how you got hurt? No clue?”

She shook her head. “I don't remember... much. Just... there was.. a dream... I think. When I... first heard voices... just now... I woke... I don't... It's... Orion woke me... before, but I didn't know him then. When I saw him again... I knew... he was Orion. And... I... I wanted... to... to protect him? I...”

“That would fit, since he's your younger brother,” Ikki said, giving her a warm smile. “Just take it easy. Shin's only pushing because the sooner we know what you know, the sooner we can stop the guy who did this to you.”

She bit her lip. “I don't remember anything... about him. Or if... there was... a him. When I woke up... it hurt... but I didn't know why.”

Toma didn't like how much this was upsetting her. He wished there was some way to make this easier and get the information they needed. He hated seeing someone look so lost and confused, and he didn't like how suspicious this made him. He was turning into Shin, suspecting her like this. 

Shin sighed. “What about this dream, then? Was there anything in it?”

She flushed again, and Toma had to wonder just what this dream had been. Might even have been a bit kinky if it was getting that reaction out of her. “I... I don't know.”

“Now if we'd met before, I'd say you were dreaming about me, but I know we haven't, so that's not it,” Ikki teased, and Orion frowned at him, about to get all protective for a younger brother. His grin had her blushing for a different reason. “That's better. I think I got a bit of a smile out of you.”

“No,” Orion insisted. “You didn't. Right, Neesan?”

She didn't answer, instead, leaning forward, looking around her brother toward the doorway. Toma looked back, preparing to say something about how Kent only looked big and scary looming in doorways the way he did, but that died as she spoke. 

“I... I know you, don't I?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She remembers something, and all signs point to one conclusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aside from my wavering back and forth over the whole idea of continuing this story (I have so much insecurity and maybe it's better if I don't?) I ended up delaying my update to this because... well... I made a fanvid.
> 
> I did really want to share the scene she remembers, but... of course now that it's posting time, I have my doubts about it.

* * *

_  
She wanted nothing more than a bath and to snuggle into her bed. Maybe she'd even skip the bath, tired as she was, even if she knew she shouldn't. She had almost forgotten how hard these days were on her, taking as many shifts as she could while her brother was away with a school trip. She knew he'd hate it if he knew what she was doing, but they always needed the money, and she knew she couldn't ask anyone else to help them._

_Most people said she was foolish for keeping Orion with her when she was just a child herself, that she should have given him to some distant relative to raise, but she couldn't do that. From the moment she first held him in her arms so long ago, she knew he was special. Maybe he didn't have any great powers or anything, maybe he wasn't smart as some kids—he was plenty smart to her—but her brother was now all the family she had left, and she'd never give up on him._

_She rubbed her neck absently, wishing she didn't have the long walk home to deal with now. She knew there was no point in wasting her tips to get there faster, since that would waste all the time she'd spent working, but sometimes she really wanted to, especially this late at night._

_She shivered in the growing chill of the night, forcing herself forward. She could make it. This wasn't that bad of a walk. That was why she still worked at this cafe even now. Others were further away, even if they paid more._

_She turned the corner and bumped into something dark, blinking in confusion. Had someone put in a new pole or something?_

_“Are you hurt?”_

_She looked up, frowning. She knew that voice. Normally when she heard it, it was lecturing her. Sawa called him her least favorite customer, and Mine was always complaining about why someone so good looking had to be so rude. They both avoided serving him whenever they could, but she didn't mind him so much. Sure, he was different, and he had really strong opinions, but something about the way he used logic intrigued her, so she was always willing to hear more._

_It actually was kind of fun arguing with him, though she hated that she rarely won. And he could be really smug, too._

_“No, I'm fine. I'm sorry I bumped into you. I turned the corner and... there you were.”_

_“I am frequently told that due to my size I am difficult to miss, yet you failed to see me. That is curious.”_

_“It is dark, I'm tired, and you are wearing dark colors,” she said defensively, folding her arms over her chest. “Why were you just standing there, anyway?”_

_“I wasn't,” he said, frowning slightly. “This is the path I usually walk home. I was simply walking the path perpendicular to yours and had already passed by the alley when you reached that junction. That would explain why you didn't see me until you'd already turned the corner.”_

_That made sense, but why had she bumped into him if he was actually moving? “You had to have stopped, though. Or I wouldn't have run into you.”_

_He hesitated. “I do not believe it impossible—”_

_“Didn't you try and tell me about how unsuited I was for my job because of how short my legs were and how long it took me to cross the floor compared to someone like you?” She asked, knowing very well that he had. She'd been so mad she wanted to dump his coffee on his head._

_He nodded, though almost like he didn't want to. “You are correct. I suppose I should not have tried to conceal it. I... I did wait for whoever was drawing near to turn the corner.”_

_“What?”_

_“Without going into an excess of explanation that you do not need and likely do not want to hear, my job sometimes involves more dangerous encounters, and as such, it is prudent to be aware of one's surroundings. I heard your footsteps approaching, and I was prepared for a possible attack if it came.”_

_She stared at him. “I thought you were a mathematician. Didn't you say you were in research?”_

_“Technically both are true. My doctorate is in mathematics, and I am the head of the research division at the forensics laboratory. That is to say... I work for the police, and not always in a safe lab environment. In fact, these past few years I've been assigned to a task force for special crimes—ones of a more difficult—perhaps the word is extreme—nature—and spend more of my time in the field than in the lab itself.”_

_“Oh.” She frowned again. “Why didn't you just say you were a policeman?”_

_He smiled. “I find that most people, were they at all willing to converse with me before they knew that bit of information become entirely unwilling to continue when they are made aware of that fact. My friend tells me it is because I am too rigid and everyone thinks I will arrest them for failing to know how to do basic math in their heads.”_

_She giggled. “I could see you doing that with how you reacted to Sawa's mistake on your bill the other day.”_

_“It was basic addition,” he said, sounding a bit defensive himself. “Anyone should have been able to come up with the correct amount. You did, as I recall.”_

_She was glad it was dark and he probably couldn't see her flush red. She'd been so proud of knowing that answer, and the smile he gave her when she got it right—she felt like she'd traded places with Mine because it made her heart pound. Even now the memory brought a bit of that reaction back to her. He was really cute when he smiled, though she would never dare say that to him._

_Besides, most of the time he was infuriating, even if he did tip precisely twenty percent every time he came into the cafe._

_She knew she should say goodbye and head home now. She was still tired, after all. Yet she found herself asking him another question.“Isn't it a bit late for you to be getting off work?”_

_“I should say that to you,” he observed. “I tend to have late hours in my profession. It is said crime never sleeps. Nor do detectives, somehow. You, though, you usually work a midday shift, do you not? You're always there when I stop for lunch, within that rather large window of time that can be considered lunch for me, as it can be unpredictable when I do get to eat.”_

_“Oh,” she said, aware she was red again because he'd noticed when she worked. That shouldn't make any difference—she did serve him often, and he was a regular at the cafe, so he would know. “Um... Yeah—I mean yes—I took a few extra shifts while my brother's on his school trip.”_

_“Ah. Admirable, in a way. You seek to advance without causing detriment to your brother's care,” he said. “And yet you do it to your own detriment, it would seem.”_

_“What?”_

_“Were you not so fatigued, I doubt you would have run into me,” he said. “Also... this neighborhood is not the most well-lit or high traffic area. Such a place could prove dangerous to anyone after dark—especially a beautiful young woman.”_

_She blinked. Had she just heard what she thought she'd heard? Had he just called her 'beautiful?' And did she really care? She shouldn't. She only ever argued with him, but she couldn't deny she'd been thinking about how good he looked when he smiled not that long ago._

_She grimaced._ Do not get flustered because he said you were beautiful. He didn't mean it like that. Don't get flustered. Don't you dare. Don't. __

_“You mean Mine, right? You don't have to worry about her. She takes the train, and she didn't close today. Actually, most of the closing staff is male.”_

_“I feel correcting your misapprehension would only cause trouble and considerable embarrassment, so I will not. I will instead remark that you walk a rather great distance to work each day, and while in some sense admirable for your health... it seems like it would add further strain to your workday as well as a greater risk to you.”_

_“I don't usually walk it at night,” she said. “And it's just because I had a double shift today. I'm fine. I've never had any trouble walking home before.”_

_“That may be true, but have you forgotten what I told you earlier?”_

_She was still trying to figure out exactly what he'd meant before, when he said he wouldn't correct things, and had no idea which part he was repeating now. “No.”_

_“I think you have, but I'll forgo that for now,” he said. “I told you that I, as someone employed by the police department, I have been... wary walking home, and yet you ignore that and proceed in an exhausted, weakened state. How much further must you go now? It seems excessive considering that you only work in a restaurant.”_

_She stopped, frowning. “Excuse me? Are you trying to say something about my job? I am not ashamed that I don't have some high position in a prestigious company. I have done everything for my brother, and I don't regret it. You probably have no idea how to care about anyone, your head is all full of math and statistics and you have no heart in you, but I do. All that matters to me is making sure Orion has what he needs.”_

_“Such altruism is quite rare, and admirable as well, but if your home is much further than this, I would think perhaps it would be better to consider other employment options. There is a difference between a beneficial walk and ones that creates a danger to your health after long hours at a rather physical job.”_

_She started to protest again, but she saw her building behind him and frowned. She didn't even remember starting to walk again. “Oh... I... No. This is it.”_

_He glanced behind him. “This is your building? Then it is still far, yet not as far as I was starting to fear. It is good you made it safely home, then.”_

_“But your house must be even further, and you're complaining about mine?”_

_“No. We passed my home some time ago, it would seem. Curious. I remember little of that walk, not even having resumed it, but we made considerable progress while we were talking.”_

_She already knew it was easy to get caught up in talking to him—in arguing with him—that she could lose a long time to it. She had even gotten written up for it once, but then they'd gotten really loud, too._

_“Um... Thank you.”_

_He frowned. “For what? I would have thought your opinion of this matter would be sharper and louder.”_

_“You just walked me home,” she said, feeling a bit weird saying the words. “So... thank you.”_

_“Oh,” he said, and she didn't know what to make of his tone. “Well, you... you are most welcome.”_

_He turned then, starting to walk away from her. She tightened her grip on her purse, knowing it was time to take out her key and go inside. Still, for some reason, she felt like watching him go. He must have realized she was doing it, though, because he stopped and looked back at her._

_“I think it would be better if you were to have an escort for any time you were to work as late as you have today. I cannot always be certain of my schedule, but if we were to cross paths again, I would be willing to be of assistance.”_

_She looked at him, more tempted than she wanted to admit to accept his offer. She couldn't, though. That just wasn't her. “I'm fine, really. My brother will be back from his trip soon, and I will be back to my usual schedule.”_

_“Oh. Well, in that case, forget I asked.”_

* * *

“The waitress.”

Her eyes never left the man in the doorway, though even watching him she wondered if she'd heard those strangled words come out of his mouth. He did know it was her, then. She was the only woman in the room—no nurses, just a bunch of strange men—and so any waitress here had to be her, didn't it? She felt sure he knew her, but he didn't seem pleased about it.

“What was that, Kent?”

She wanted to know, too, if he was right. She glanced toward her brother, who nodded to her question. So she was a waitress. That memory was real, and it was hers, but why did she remember that and nothing about her brother? Surely Orion was more important to her?

The angry one she thought they'd called Shin looked at her again, and she tried not to shudder. “What do you remember about Kent?”

“I...” She swallowed, her eyes going back to the man in the doorway, wishing she could talk to him alone and know if that memory was all they shared. He would know better than she would about all this. Why wasn't he saying anything? “I think... I served him coffee?”

“That's it?”

Oh, she'd really made him mad, hadn't she? Was he going to hurt her? 

“That does seem somewhat surprising to me as well,” Kent—his name was Kent, was it? She hadn't known it in the memory, not that she could tell. “That something so ordinary would hold a place when everything else is missing—and to be fair, it's hardly how I'd describe our interactions, so it is doubly strange, then, that you would state only that you served me coffee.”

She flushed. “Um... Well... I wanted to dump it on your head?”

To her surprise—and everyone else's, she thought—he laughed. “Yes, that seems much more like you than your previous statement. Perhaps you have not forgotten everything after all.”

Her memory wasn't wrong about his smile. When he was amused, it was rather stunning, especially compared to how scary he'd looked when he first came in the doorway. Had she not had that almost pleasant memory of him, she'd be terrified of him now.

“Ken, I think you'd better explain a little more,” the flirt from earlier said, and he nodded, though she didn't think he wanted to say anything.

“She used to work at the cafe where I frequently took lunch. Our interactions were somewhat contentious, as we had philosophical debates. She had intended to major in psychology and often made emotional arguments that could not stand up to the rational counters I offered. I made her very angry on more than one occasion as she was the one who served my table most often. Her coworkers would refuse to wait on me were she present.”

“It would be something like that,” Shin muttered. “Don't you know how to interact with anyone like a normal human?”

“The only real response to that is to remind you that you do not, either, as you are frequently more cantankerous than I am,” Kent told him, folding his arms over his chest in a gesture that seemed very familiar to her.

“He's got you again, little brother,” the other man said, smiling as he looked at Shin. “Man, I'd forgotten how much fun it was to have the two of you go at each other.”

“Yes, their insults are always entertaining,” the flirt from before said, “up until they combine forces against you, of course.”

“True. They did make Ukyo cry at least once.”

“Shut up, Toma,” Shin said. He glared at his brother and then back at her. “You seriously only remember a guy you wanted to dump coffee on? Yeah, sure, we all get tempted with Kent, but that's all you know about him? Why would you remember that at all?”

She didn't know. “I... He... I know he's got a doctorate in mathematics and... he's with the police. Head of the forensics lab? And on a task force. I... We did argue. He... he said I was too short for the work I did, and it was inefficient of me to cross the floor as many times as I did. That was why I wanted to dump coffee on him.”

“Rude!” Orion said. “You're a great waitress. Everyone says so. So many people come in there just for you because you always serve them well. Sawa and Mine were jealous.”

“I simply remarked on her height,” Kent said defensively. “It _is_ inefficient to have to take as many steps as she did to cross the floor. Were she taller, she would spend less time getting back and forth from the kitchen.”

“Oh, I get it now. That makes sense,” the flirt said with a triumphant smile. He seemed rather proud of himself. “She worked at that awful cafe you used to go to all the time.”

Shin blinked. “Kent had a favorite cafe? And this girl worked there?”

The other man laughed, shaking his head. “Oh, no, it was not a favorite, was it, Ken? It was a 'logical choice.'”

“The food was passable, Ikkyu, and you were quite fond of their coffee.”

“The coffee was good,” Ikkyu agreed. “Not so much the rest of it, but then you favor straight nutritional value over culinary experience. Some of the stuff you would eat back when you worked only in the lab and never saw the light of day because of your experiments... I still shudder to think about them.”

“Leave it to you to be all dramatic about it,” Shin muttered. Toma smiled.

“At any rate, the coffee was not why he picked it,” Ikkyu said, still enjoying this a lot as well. “It was because it was equidistant from his house, the lab, and the precinct.”

“Equi-what?” Orion asked, frowning. “What are you talking about, Ikki? And... why?”

“Leave it to the math nerds,” Toma said with a laugh. “I told you about that, right? Really, forget what you knew about Ikki as a child star. That was his character. This is Ikki when he's not putting on a role. You really only see it around Kent. And... equidistant means what I think it means, right, guys?”

“It does,” Ikki—was it Ikki or Ikkyu? Orion used Ikki, so she thought she would, too—said, still smiling. “And since it was Ken, he didn't just pick a spot on the map or triangluate a position. He researched the amount of traffic, the average speed of service, and factored in all possible weather conditions as well.”

“Wow,” Toma said. “Just when I thought you couldn't get more—”

“I should think that all of you have had more than sufficient amusement at my expense today, from my earlier... ridiculousness to now, and if that is all this conversation is going to produce, then I believe I am done here. I have informed you of our connection, which was the information you required of me before I returned home. I'm done.”

“Wait, you can't just—” 

“And if any of you is sufficiently brave, you can tell Waka the resignation form will be on his desk in the morning.”

“Oh, no, there is no way you are putting that on us,” Toma said, exchanging looks with the others. Kent said nothing to that, walking out of the room and leaving them behind. “Damn it. He can't just do that. He can't just leave.”

“He knows more than he's telling us,” Shin said. “He always does.”

“You're both treating him like nothing has changed,” Ikki said. He held up his hands in a sort of helpless gesture. “I know. I do it, too, but Shin, you saw it more than Toma did. You know he's not himself. He's become a better actor than me, considering he used to have no poker face at all, but he wasn't kidding about the triggers. The fire, the burns, him knowing this girl even casually, and then you add in the hospital—for about six different reasons—and I'm surprised he's still on his feet.”

“Look, whatever is going on in his head, that doesn't even—” Shin stopped himself from finishing that thought, facing Ikki. “It doesn't take a genius to spot the obvious. We all know what this is starting to add up to, and if it's what we think it is—”

“I'll go talk to him,” Ikki said. He shook his head. “And someone is going to have to talk to Waka.”

“Waka already knows—”

“Not about that,” Ikki said. He gave her and Orion a glance, looking at Toma pointedly. “You know what I mean, don't you?”

Toma nodded. “Yeah. I understand. I'll handle it.”

* * *

“You're diligent as ever,” Waka observed, and Ukyo forced a smile, embarrassed as usual that their boss had snuck up on him. He knew that Waka did not necessarily do it on purpose—it was simply the man's manner to walk without sound, and sometimes Ukyo was able to sense his approach, but when he was distracted by his photography, he never did.

He knew there wasn't a person on the team who was immune to it, that never got startled by the man's approach. Toma and Shin could sometimes fake it when they were startled, and Kent and Ikki were unflappable in their own ways, the one falling back on logic and the other his acting to make it seem as though they were not bothered by the sudden appearance of a man with Waka's imposing nature and rumored past.

“This is where I am actually useful,” Ukyo admitted. Few things came as naturally to him as being behind the camera. He had taken a liking to it as a child, picking up his father's camera and snapping that first fateful picture of the sky, thinking himself the only person who would.

Now, of course, he knew better, and more often than not, he took pictures of the ugliest sides of the world rather than the beautiful parts, but he'd found he was needed here, in some ways. This work was not about beauty but about the things others could miss, and when those things meant saving lives or seeing justice done, that was beautiful enough to make him weep as well sometimes.

“You believe yourself somehow less worthy of a place on the task force than your companions?” Waka asked, and Ukyo felt ashamed to have it noticed. His insecurity there was not something that mattered, not in the face of a horrible sight like this, one no accident but the deliberate work of a malicious hand.

“I had not realized it was affecting my work.”

Waka folded his arms behind his back. “I never said that. Your work remains excellent. You yourself have been distant, but then so have the others.”

Ukyo nodded. The attempt on Kent's life had fractured the team in ways no one could have predicted. He would have thought that a more unifying factor among them was Toma, who had a pleasant manner and usually smoothed over any differences of opinion caused by Shin or the others, but when Kent was in the hospital, they'd all faltered. Ikki's behavior became as reckless as any former child star's might have been, no one knew where Toma disappeared to for a while, but Shin's attitude toward that suggested nothing good could have come of that, and Shin himself had been so angry that Ukyo worried for him.

None of them liked the sort of helplessness they'd felt when their friend had almost died, and his lengthy recovery did not make it any easier to bear. The empty seat at table in their conference room, the lack of Kent's logical voice and his tendency to see the bigger picture before the rest of them did, all of that had more of an impact than they'd expected, and they did falter, taking more and more assignments away from each other until the task force didn't seem to exist at all.

Ukyo had even gone out of the country, taking pictures around the world. That solitude and isolation was easier to bear than the loss of the camaraderie that they'd shared before the attack.

“As soon as I've finished developing these, I'll take them to my friend to start reconstructing some faces,” Ukyo said. “I know it will still take time to identify them. I... No one should die like this, terrified and alone... without anyone knowing who they are or where they came from.”

“That is why we do the work we do,” Waka said. His phone rang, and he reached into his pocket to take it out. “Report.”

Ukyo returned to his pictures, knowing that if there was anything for him to know, he'd be told shortly. One of the others had to be on the phone now, and Waka hardly ever withheld information from them—not anything related to a case, at least, not unless he was under orders not to and even then sometimes he would prod them enough and give telling silences when asked that told them everything they needed to know without a word.

“Have them all go there. The security measures in place were well above standard prior to his taking residence there, and knowing his current state, he has only improved upon them.” Waka gave a wan smile even though no one could see him. “And if the resignation form does come, you may inform him it was already misfiled. He will remain on this case.”

Ukyo frowned, lowering his camera again. Waka had already ended the call, placing the phone back in his pocket. 

“Something wrong?” Ukyo asked, knowing the words themselves were foolish. A lot was wrong here, and he already knew that. He also knew that this kind of evil went deep, and he feared it more than anything, the true nature of what humanity was capable of, the other sides of themselves they didn't know they could create.

Waka's eyes returned to the ruins. “Death is always wrong, isn't it, Ukyo? It feels as though it goes against the natural order, even if by all logic and reason we know otherwise. We are born, we live, and we die. Yet we as humans fight against such ends in many ways.”

Ukyo nodded. He still felt the loss of his family and his home every day, and sometimes it seemed unfair to lose something so close as family. If he had found someone he loved more than anything, he did not know how he could bear their loss. 

“We'll be moving the witnesses shortly,” Waka said next, as though he had not made his previous statement at all. Whatever he was thinking that prompted it, he was not willing to share it yet. “The others will see to that. You continue on with what you've been doing.”

Ukyo did, taking his final pictures before preparing to leave.

* * *

“Ken,” Ikkyu said, sitting down next to him. Once again, he had not gotten far, stopped by the tightness in his chest, the inability to breathe past the irrational reaction he was having to this place overwhelming him. “You do realize no one's going to leave you alone right now, don't you?”

Kent nodded, the misery and humiliation of his circumstances not having gone unnoticed in the slightest. “I have not been able to control my reaction once today, or so it feels. If I had... then I would not have caused such alarm or needed to be... babysat again. I hate this.”

“All of us do,” Ikkyu said. “You think we wanted you to come back when you're still hurting? Well, physical pain we all manage pretty well, but that other stuff? Please. Since when does any of us deal with that? Ever? Shin pushes everyone away, even Toma. Toma doesn't admit that stuff happens at all, just puts on a smile like he's the happiest, kindest guy in the universe when we know he's not, not all the time. Ukyo might be the most open with his emotions, sometimes, because he's actually cried in front of us, but even he's not well-adjusted. I used to make a living faking emotions, and I no longer know what's real. And you? You tried to abandon them all for reason and logic because they're things that you understand and have rules. Emotions don't work that way.”

Kent refused to give into that one. “I notice you did not say anything about Waka.”

“Yeah, well, I think Waka sends even the most stalwart of souls into hiding when they try and contemplate what might be behind his silences,” Ikkyu said, laughing a little. “I'm not that brave.”

Kent folded his arms over his chest. “I was assured that most of the people involved in that yakuza family were dead or in prison. In fact, the amount that were dead versus the amount that survived had a rather unsettling ratio.”

“I'm sure none of us knows what you're implying with that.”

“Ikkyu, if any of you killed out of revenge for what happened to me or my family, I—”

“I know. You'd feel responsible,” Ikkyu interrupted. “I may have caused some lifelong damage. I'm not going to pretend my hands are entirely clean. I can't. Your family... As weird as they were—and they had to be, they made you—they took me in. They welcomed me. And... I lost them, too, even though they weren't mine to lose.”

Kent nodded, well aware that Ikkyu was in some ways, another part of his family despite their lack of blood relation. He could not entirely explain that, but it had happened anyway. “I know my issues have taken precedence over your own grief.”

“Forget about that. I don't care about that. I just... This is hard to say, but... if I'd lost you, too, then I don't know what I would have done. You were the first real friend I had, not just because you were the first person I knew that wasn't in show business in some way, but because you treated me like a normal person even though I was an actor. And you weren't afraid to like math. You were just... you. No pretenses, no lies, and as an added bonus, you infuriated my parents just about any time you opened your mouth. I couldn't seem to tell them how I felt about acting, even when I tried to see it as a role, but you? You just _said_ it.”

“With the level of discontent you felt in that profession, you would never have remained silent forever. You did not need me to end that stage of your career.”

Ikkyu nodded. “I would have done it eventually, but without you and your family, I probably would have spent a few really bad years in the way all washed up child stars do. I don't know if I would have survived that, when I think about it. You know how I get when I drink.”

“You are a talkative, clingy drunk,” Kent said, “and the less said about that, the better.”

Ikkyu laughed. “Oh, come on. You enjoy it when I call you in the middle of the night begging for math problems.”

Kent snorted. “That is not usually what you ask for, and you know it.”

Ikkyu only smiled. Kent did not have it in him to be amused nor did he want to be entertainment. 

He pushed up his glasses and sighed. “They're dead or in prison. Almost all of them. And the few others that are not are part of other yakuza families now, following the rules of those organizations, such as they are. Most of them pride themselves on being law unto themselves.”

“Yes.”

Kent frowned. “I understand I am disagreeable and logical to a fault. I am disliked by many and have few friends. I have assisted in the arrest of several dangerous individuals, but mostly at a distance and as an expert on evidence that is irrefutable. Forensics proved the case, not me.”

“Being modest, are you?”

“Ikkyu,” Kent said in irritation, and his friend shrugged. “I am saying... I fail to see how I matter so much to someone, that they would hate me so much, feel such a desire to make me suffer as to take several innocent lives and harm even casual acquaintances just to cause trouble. Yet... that is what this is, isn't it?”

“We don't know that.”

“I think we do. It's obvious. The conclusion is inescapable,” Kent said. Even as much as he wanted to deny it, as he would hide behind his own diminished capacity at the moment, he couldn't. He knew it was true. He simply did not understand why.

“No. It could be a false trail. It might not be about you or it could be using what happened to you already to imply a threat. It's not necessarily what you fear. You know better than I do what the odds are of something like this happening again.” 

“Yes,” Kent agreed. “And that changes nothing. Someone is murdering people to get to me.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The witnesses are moved to safety, and one possible suspect is suggested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had an idea for this story that makes it even better, I think, but there's still some work to go to get there, and then I had a scene with Ukyo and one from the heroine's point of view in mind I ended up needing to push back. This got longer than expected.
> 
> I liked the story Ikki tells even if it was a bit out of character. It also fit as a possible motive and explanation for other things. So I kept it, even if maybe I shouldn't have.

* * *

“Ken, don't do this to yourself,” Ikki said, hating the way his friend sounded right now. This was all sorts of wrong. Ken was not to blame for all of this, no matter who might be targeting him. Nothing he'd done was that bad—certainly nothing illegal or unethical from Mr. Rule Book himself—even if he was difficult to get along with. He wasn't even responsible for that yakuza family going after him the way they did.

“I cannot ignore the facts,” Ken said. “They lead to one inevitable conclusion, and I don't see why anyone would want to pretend otherwise. It is not efficient to ignore the most likely cause, and while I cannot say what enemy I have that would go to this length besides the man already imprisoned, I suppose it is possible he has not given up despite his earlier failure. It is worth noting, I suppose, that I have been... relatively out of reach since the initial incident occurred. My hospitalization was long, and I was kept under guard then, and even after I was moved to the rehabilitation center, I was aware of a protection detail there—”

“What? None of us were assigned to that. Some of us would have volunteered.”

Ken shook his head. “Waka only smiled when I pointed it out to him, so I assume they were his doing and I was not meant to be aware of them, but I was.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Waka all right,” Ikki agreed, glad their boss had been looking out for Ken at the time. He must have been too distracted himself to notice. Most of the others had been scattered, hunting down any part of the yakuza family that was still standing. Even Ikki was busy chasing them down whenever he wasn't visiting Ken.

“I should continue my earlier thought by reminding you that I have hardly left my home since I was released from the rehabilitation center.”

Ikki nodded. “I'm aware of how little you leave the fortress, but that does not mean this psycho started killing and burning buildings just to get you out of your house. There were easier ways, and while I know none of them make the impression this one does, that doesn't mean he had to resort to these kind of measures to lure you out. There's more to this than that. There has to be.”

Ken looked away into the distance. “I admit there is some truth to that particular logic, but the other factors disagree. Your location is frequently broadcast on social media despite leaving your former profession. Your friendship with me is not unknown, and I have been photographed with you more than I care for, so if someone were determined to use that, they could. We were supposed to meet today. That is our arrangement. Had it not been for that fire, we would have. The fire's extreme rate of acceleration would mean that it was likely set when I was sure to see it if I were to walk the most likely path. The victim had my card on her and was left alive... That was confusing before, but it seems clearer now it was intentional. He hurt her, but he wanted us to find that card—it would have burned in that fire—so he left her alive. He may even have known that her brother was there to save her.”

Ikki studied him. “Okay, say this guy definitely set this fire for you. He was timing it to the moment, wanted you there and he wanted you to find her. Was he trying to trap you in that building, you think? Or was this just him playing with you further?”

Ken frowned. “You're still talking like... I know his motives. I don't. Even if this was that yakuza boss, it doesn't fit with what I know of him.”

No, that was what Ikki was prodding toward, not that it made it much better. It was simpler if they could be sure this was the same enemy as before, but as Kent had already said—the guy was no longer a threat. His people were gone, and he'd died himself a few months into his sentence.

This killer was someone different. They didn't know what this guy was after or why, other than he had some kind of connection to Kent, but whatever it was, Kent himself was unaware of it. Or was he? That was what troubled Ikki even more. Kent said he didn't know what had caused this, but did he?

“As I have said before, I rarely understand the human psyche. I leave it to others to understand that kind of motivation. What I know is logic and facts and how math can explain basic natural phenomenon. Not this. Crime... I think in the beginning I found it a fascinating puzzle, and the research offer came on the heels of my failed attempt to go abroad, which made it a seemingly perfect choice.” Ken looked at his hand. “Such is pride, I suppose. I never even thought about how I saw the crimes I looked into until...”

Until his parents died, Ikki thought. He grimaced, shaking his head. “That still doesn't make you to blame for what this guy chose to do. You didn't know he was up to this. None of us did.”

“Does that actually reassure you?”

Ikki swore. “No. It doesn't. You're right about that much. We should have seen it, and I'm now thinking there's something in the forensics that would have shown us something. He might have wanted you to see it, assuming you were still doing your old work at first, and if you had been, you know you'd have found it.”

“I don't know that, no.”

“I think we all know better than that,” Toma said, and Ikki looked back at him. He made a point to put his phone away as he came toward him. He had orders from Waka, then. Ikki had a feeling he knew what this would mean. “Come on. You're too good at what you do for that. Either the techs in the lab completely missed it, or this guy didn't leave it for anyone to find before. And call me crazy, but I think you may be the only one who ends up knowing why.”

Ken closed his eyes, taking off his glasses and rubbing his face. “I can't tell you what I don't know.”

“You are so lucky it's me right now and not Shin,” Toma said, and Ikki figured he wasn't wrong about that. “He'd be picking a fight with you to try and get you to admit that you know exactly what this guy is up to and why it involves that woman in there. Me? I'm just here to relay what Waka said.”

Ken sighed. “Somehow that is far less reassuring than you intended as well.”

“Boss' orders are to move everyone to your fortress for now.”

Ken stared at him. “Are you insane? No. The hospital will never agree to that in her condition, and no. I don't care what Waka says. No. They are not going in my house, now or ever. That is an incredibly poor idea.”

“Yeah, you can be the one to tell Waka that,” Toma said with a slight smile. “You know he's already made the right threats to people to get them to release her to us. They'll have an unmarked ambulance ready before we're done talking. This is yet again one of those 'you don't have a choice' moments.”

Ken shook his head. “You have no understanding of how impossible this is. Why are you doing this to me? I don't need another of these today. I can't... I can't...”

“Easy,” Ikki said, touching his back. “Just because they're with you does not mean they're going to die. Even if you were to cook for them, it wouldn't be a death sentence.”

“I am more than capable of following a recipe correctly, and I have—that attempt to distract me will not work, Ikkyu. Humor... will not change the facts.” Ken tried to draw in deep breaths, choking on them. “Not. Again.”

Ikki reached into his pocket, taking out a pill bottle and holding it out to Ken. “You want these?”

“No.” Ken shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself as he continued to struggle for control.

“Ikki? Are those—”

“Tranquilizers. He'll go out like a light, but he'll pay for it for the next three days, so it's always the last resort for when things get this bad,” Ikki answered, shoving the bottle back in his pocket. He knew it wasn't fair to use them as a threat, but Ken hated taking them and if he had any willpower left, he'd fight past what he could. Ikki knew he'd rather do that, too, and sometimes that push was all he needed.

Other times... nothing helped.

“Right.”

“Don't suggest it would be better if I took them,” Kent said, starting to pull himself together but still breathing hard. “You'd never get in my house if I did.”

“That wasn't—I was—” Toma sighed. “If they would have helped, I would have been for it. You look like hell, and you sound worse.”

“It has been a non-stop procession of things that trigger me today. No one should expect me to be fine under the circumstances.”

“And we don't,” Ikki said. “But you made progress. You just agreed to let them in your house.”

Ken's only response to that was a groan.

* * *

“That's someone's house?” Orion asked, staring up at the building in disbelief. That couldn't be a house. He knew not every apartment building looked inviting—they'd lived in a couple really bad ones that he remembered, though the one they were in now was the best. They'd only been there for about two years, but it was really close to Neesan's work, and so much better than where they'd been before. He'd even been able to go to a nicer school.

“It used to be a warehouse,” Toma said. “Right, Kento? Or should I have Ikki tell the story?”

“It seems it will be told whether I want it to be or not, though the child may enjoy Ikki's theatrical interpretation more than others,” Kent answered, reaching over to touch the wall. A panel showed itself, and he entered numbers into it, changing a light from red to green.

“I don't mind telling it,” Ikki said, smiling, and Orion couldn't help thinking he wanted that. A lot. A story told by Ikki? The Ikki? He and Neesan used to watch Ikki's show all the time. She let it be his bedtime story sometimes when she was too tired to read to him, and this was so cool to have in person. “And unlike Toma, I was there when it happened.”

“Okay, okay, we get it. Not all of us are lifelong friends like the two of you,” Toma muttered. He smiled as he said it, so Orion didn't think he was as annoyed as he pretended to be.

“Not even you and Shin?” Orion asked, looking over at the other man standing to the side and glaring at them while Ikki and Toma laughed.

“Shin and I are brothers. Well, step-brothers, but that doesn't change much,” Toma said. “He hates me most of the time. It's how brothers are.”

“It is not,” Orion said. “I'm not like that, and I'm a brother.”

“Yes, but you have a quiet sister to deal with, not an annoying older brother.” Shin said, and Toma shrugged, still smiling like he didn't mind that things were bad between him and Shin, and Orion didn't see how that was even possible. He would never want things to be that bad with Neesan.

And Neesan wasn't usually this quiet. She hadn't been herself since she woke up.

“The door opens for a small interval of less than a minute,” Kent said, and everyone looked at him. “It's a security measure to prevent unauthorized access when my hands are full. Stop looking at me like that's insane. Once I unlock it, you won't have long to enter, and if you continue to have these pointless conversations, you will miss your opportunity. I can and am quite tempted to lock it behind me.”

“You really don't have to be like that, Kent.”

“I'd rather do that than subject the child to a long and misleading conversation about your relationship with Shin,” Kent said. “And the longer we linger outside, the more attention we draw to anyone who might already have identified this location. It is best we move on. Quickly.”

Ikki moved over to Neesan's side. “Allow me, my lady.”

She flushed completely red as he picked her up from her bed in the ambulance. Orion frowned, not so sure he liked someone doing that with his sister. He did like Ikki, but him flirting with Neesan? That he didn't like very much. No, at all.

“What about all the other stuff?” Orion asked, thinking of the complicated machines they'd hooked her up to earlier. “Doesn't she still need that?”

“Kent has some of that inside, which was another reason Waka gave this order,” Ikki answered. “It's fine. We'll get her settled inside soon enough, and then I'll tell you that story I owe you.”

Kent watched them with a frown. Orion saw it and frowned himself. What was with that look? It was so hard to understand what Kent was thinking.

“Is Ikki not telling the truth? Do you not have what she needs?”

“It is not that,” Kent said, his eyes on Neesan. “The silence is so... unlike her.”

Orion knew it was. Her silence wasn't like the usual one when she was tired or even when she was hurting—he knew those kinds well, even when she tried to hide them from him. This was because Neesan still didn't remember much of anything, but he would have thought that she'd do more than blush about Ikki grabbing her like that.

Still, it was even weirder that Kent knew her well enough to notice that.

“It's nothing,” Kent said, shaking his head and pushing the button. “Now go.”

* * *

Ikki walked in first with Neesan, with Toma close behind them. Shin shoved Orion forward, and he almost fell inside the door, with Kent picking him up just before it shut on them. Orion glared at Shin, but then he realized his real problem was Kent. He tugged on the man's hand on his collar.

That was the third time today, Orion thought, and it was embarrassing. He didn't need to be carried, and he wasn't a baby. He was almost grown enough to help Neesan with work, even if she didn't want him to and would say he had to keep focusing on school.

“Let me go.”

“Shin's methods seem extreme, but had you been left outside, there could be unfortunate consequences,” Kent said, releasing his hold on Orion's shirt. “You give too much thought to my words. The wrong ones, at least. You should have focused on the door.”

Orion supposed he wasn't wrong, but it still felt a bit like that. Kent gestured for him to move forward, and he did, hearing more buttons being pushed behind him. He looked back to see Kent closing another panel.

Kent moved past Shin and into the other room, where Ikki had already set Neesan down on what looked like a pretty expensive couch. She had it to herself, as Ikki had taken the chair across from her. Toma claimed the other one, sitting down with a pleased sigh.

“This is a lot homier than I expected from you. Downright cozy, even.”

Ikki laughed, reaching into the cabinet behind him and taking out a bottle of water. “I think I'd better explain now, right, Ken?”

“Do as you please. I do not care one bit what you do,” Kent said, about to leave, but Neesan's voice stopped him.

“What if he—if he doesn't tell the truth, would anyone else know? Shouldn't you stay to make sure that we know what really happened?” Neesan asked, and Ikki frowned as Shin smiled and Toma burst out laughing again. “Why is that so funny?”

“It's not you. It's the face Ikkyu makes when he's pouting—combined with his complete failure to impress you, a feat that is usually easy with most women,” Kent said, sounding slightly amused himself. He leaned against the wall, though with him it seemed more like he was relaxing than with Shin, who was still watching them with suspicion.

“I am not pouting,” Ikki said. Then he shrugged. “Well, maybe a little. It's not every day that happens, to be sure. Usually if I lose, it's to Ukyo, though Toma has his moments and some people actually find Shin's harsh attitude appealing. Not that he knows how to treat a lady, but that's an entirely different manner.”

Shin grunted, and Toma just smiled. Orion noticed Kent hadn't even got a mention there.

Neesan frowned. “You don't see me as something to... win over, do you? Am I a prize to all of you? That's not why I came, and I won't stay if that's what you think. No, that can't be right. You wouldn't do that in the middle of a case, would you? You're detectives, aren't you?”

“They are, and they can be quite professional,” Kent said. “Yet it is true that detectives seem to have a bizarre and somewhat morbid sense of humor at times, and that 'dark comedy' or 'gallows humor' as it is sometimes known, can be rather... offensive and even more insensitive than I myself am. This is merely their way of easing some of the tension they feel daily.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

Kent shrugged, turning to Orion. “There is space next to her. You do not need to stand there and gape at the rest of us.”

“Right,” he said, giving Kent another glare as he went to sit beside Neesan, who smiled warmly at him. Orion felt better seeing that, though he was still worried about her. Kent better be telling the truth about that whole thing being with Ikki being just a joke. Neesan didn't know enough about herself to know which of these guys she might like—and even if she would like one of them at all.

Kent pulled open a drawer, taking out a blanket. No one said anything as he carried it across to them. He set it over Neesan, and she smiled at him.

“Thank you, Kent.”

He frowned, backing away and returning to the wall, this time far from relaxed. Orion reached over to smooth out the blanket, still trying to understand what was going on with Kent. That had been nice of him, but why did a simple thank you upset him so much?

“So,” Toma spoke into the growing awkwardness. “Ikki... about that story you owe the kid—”

“Or we could do some actual questioning—”

“I think this story will put everyone back at ease,” Ikki said, smiling. He set down his water, leaning forward. “Well, everyone but Ken. He doesn't really like this story, even if he's the hero of it, more or less.”

“I fail to see what is so heroic about it. It was simple mathematics. And an annoying drunk.”

“And he's not talking about me this time,” Ikki said, amused. “Anyway, this is back in the early days. Kent was feeling pretty low about losing out on his chance to study abroad—really, that whole decision was wrong, and I'd like to blame my parents for it, but they would have wanted him to go far away, thinking I'd go back to acting if not for him. I wouldn't, not for all the money in the world—”

“He says as the richest man in the room,” Shin muttered, shaking his head. Orion frowned. Didn't this place mean Kent had some money, too? It wasn't small, and everything around here looked pretty expensive, too, not just the couch, though this blanket... it was pretty normal. Strange.

“That's as may be,” Ikki said, “but whatever fortune I have, it would never have been enough for my parents. No, forget that. We want to hear a fun story, and this one can be if told properly. Which takes us back to me and a grumpy Ken. I dragged him out to get really drunk—Ken's hilarious when he's drunk, trust me on that—”

“Whereas Ikkyu is an obnoxious one that talks excessively and clings in a most ridiculous manner.”

“Lies, all lies,” Ikki said, turning a bright smile on Neesan. She shook her head, giggling, looking to Kent with a soft smile. Orion frowned. Wait, she still believed Kent? And why did Kent look so bothered by that?

“This is going to take hours,” Shin muttered. “I am only here because we need information. So far no one's said anything the least bit useful.”

“Always rushing the punchline,” Ikki said. “That is why you're only funny when you insult people. Trust me, a little variety in humor is a good thing. Any good actor knows that, and you might think about it since you do so much undercover work.”

“No.”

Ikki rolled his eyes. “Back to the story, then. Ken and I were there for one purpose only—to drink a lot without having to pay for it. Well, Ken said he was willing to participate if it was for charity, but he barely drank at all. We got stuck at the table with this really obnoxious man who would not stop going on and on about his renovation. You know the type. Rich, had more money than half the country, boasts about everything... He had just spent a bunch of it renovating a former warehouse into luxurious house he didn't even plan on using.”

“What?” Orion asked. He knew that his family would probably never own a house, and that guy wanted one he wouldn't use? How wrong was that?

“It's quite typical,” Kent said. “He was no different than many others at such functions, which is why Ikkyu drank to excess at most of them.”

“Not the only reason,” Ikki said with a grin, making Kent roll his eyes. “This time was worth it, though. This guy was one of the worst, and it was worth it to watch him put in his place. I would have liked to have done it myself, but this time the honor belongs to Ken.”

“Really?” Shin asked, and Orion thought he was getting interested in this story now, too. 

“Our new 'friend' liked the idea of owning land he didn't need, and part of his plan was to make his house drive up real estate prices in the area and force decent people out of their homes—”

“What a monster,” Orion said. “This guy is terrible. A real jerk. But... you stopped him, right? You did, didn't you?”

“Ken did,” Ikki said. His grin got impossibly wider. “With math.”

“What?”

“Ikkyu exaggerates,” Kent said. “It was not that noble. It was a combination of irritation and one man's terrible boasting. He would not stop talking about how much he'd put into the house, describing each tile, each modification, every new detail, and saying with such repetition that Ikkyu made a game of drinking each time he heard it—”

“'Bet you can't tell how much it cost,'” Ikki said, and his imitation actually sounded kind of scary. “Oops. A bit too overdramatic that time, huh?”

“More than a little,” Ken said. “You make him sound intimidating when he was simply obnoxious, with a higher pitch to his voice aggravated by the obsequious nature of his companion. Both bragged too much, but only one had money of his own.”

Ikki shrugged. “I suppose I'd had too much to drink by then, and any way, I find giving his voice a new dimension improves the story.”

“It does not.”

Orion thought that Shin might have a point about their storytelling. It wasn't fast, and he wasn't sure this was helping any, but then when he looked over at Neesan, he saw she was still smiling, her eyes darting between Ikki and Kent with amusement, so he supposed it was okay.

He wanted to be happy as long as Neesan was happy, even if he was a little scared.

“Anyway, Ken finally has enough of this guy and when he says, 'bet you can't' one more time, he says he'll take that bet. And I think he'd had a bit to drink himself by then because he was way bolder than usual. He said... 'I will take that bet. In fact, I will bet that I can get it within a fractional point of the actual cost.'”

“I did not,” Kent objected immediately. “I would not have—”

“He did, which is why the guy didn't believe him. He just kept on laughing. Ken got stubborn, insisted he could do it, and then said that when he did, that man would give him the house and everything in it,” Ikki went on, really enjoying himself now. Kent just frowned at him. “And I tried to stop Ken because even I didn't have that much money to lose, and Ken's parents definitely couldn't afford it, but Ken wouldn't back down by then. You know how he gets, right? When Ken's sure he's right, he won't give in. So the guy makes the bet.”

“You're kidding,” Toma said, sitting up straight in his chair and looking from Kent to Ikki. “This is all because of a bet? Why are we only hearing this part of the story now?”

“Because it takes too long to tell,” Shin muttered, and Neesan giggled again.

“With absolutely no hesitation at all, Ken passes him over a piece of paper with a number on it, and when the guy's eyes see it, they just about pop out of his head,” Ikki said, this time grinning at Orion. “You know what I mean, right? There's dead silence in the room after that. Complete shock. And he starts to say that Ken tricked him, which of course only made Ken mad because to his mind this is basic math—”

“He named several price points as well as the amount of each unit bought plus the overall expenditure and repeated these numbers enough to where a child could have done it,” Kent said, shaking his head. “It was not so impossible a task.”

“Yeah, but only you would do it.”

“Oh, you let me forget again,” Ikki said. “The part where you bet him you could tell him within—what was it, thirty seconds?”

“Ikkyu—”

“Don't let him get all exasperated and pretend he didn't do it,” Ikki said. “He did. That was what shocked most of the people. His speed, not just that he got it right.”

Kent sighed. “As it was, I'd been running the total in my head since he started and did not have to think about it when I wrote it down. I needed only the time to do so. It was not as impressive as you're attempting to make it sound.”

“It was,” Ikki said. “Trust me. And if you really don't believe me, I think the video of that night is still online somewhere. The fan club would have it. It did happen. All you see here? Ken won it in a bet with math.”

“Wow,” Orion said, taking another look around the room. “That's amazing, Kent. You actually make math seem useful and not just... annoying.”

“It's more fun than you think,” Ikki said. “Anyway, part of the point of telling that story was to make Shin's suspicious mind explode. Did it work?”

Shin glared at him. “Seriously?”

“Ikkyu, that man is far from a credible suspect in a matter like this,” Kent said, shaking his head. “And while I did embarrass him, he had already accepted this loss some time ago. He would not be acting out of revenge now.”

“It's still a possibility we need to look into,” Toma said. “Ikki, you have that guy's name?”

“No, I don't remember it off-hand, but the fan club would have it, or Ken does somewhere around here on the paperwork,” Ikki said with a shrug.

“I still think you are mistaken,” Kent said. “He was given ample opportunity to back out of the bet. I repeatedly told him that what I had truly desired at that moment was his silence and his acknowledgment that I had won was more than sufficient. He was the one who insisted on following through with it and signing this place over to me.”

Orion blinked. “Wow. You almost turned this down?”

Kent nodded. “It was still my intention to reapply to go abroad. I did not believe I needed something here to hold me, nor was living with my parents particularly inconvenient. However, this building did prove somewhat useful to my needs—”

“After he turned the vault downstairs into a private lab,” Ikki said, going to grab another water and sit down with it.

“There's a downstairs?” Orion asked. But... “There's like four floors above ground and a downstairs and you live here alone?”

“I really don't see Kent as the roommate type,” Toma said. “It's not very him.”

“That's not it,” Ikki said. “Though I suppose you don't want to say, do you?”

Kent folded his arms over his chest again and looked down, closing his eyes. “I did hold onto this place in part with the intention of either renovating it or selling it to provide for my parents' upcoming retirement. That... proved quite unnecessary.”

“Oh,” Orion said, looking at Kent with pity. He felt Neesan's hand take his, and he tried to smile for her, but it was really sad, what happened to Kent's family.

Wait. Neesan didn't know about that, did she?

He looked back at her, thinking she was just comforting him when Kent was the one who was really hurting. Orion didn't miss the parents he didn't remember, but Kent's parents... He'd lost them and almost died, too.

And they thought this guy who'd lost the house had done that somehow? Could that terrible man have been the one laughing at the fire? 

“Did you say the video was online?” Orion asked. “And it... showed this guy's face, right?”

Shin looked over at him. “Why are you asking that? Did you see someone there? Why didn't you tell us this earlier?”

* * *

The kid flinched, looking like he was afraid, and Toma shook his head. He understood Shin's frustration—there wasn't anyone in the room except maybe the girl who didn't; they could really have used this information sooner—but that didn't mean he should scare the kid like that. It wouldn't get them anywhere.

Still, if the kid had seen someone he could recognize, they needed to know. Even more so if this was someone that tied to Kent's past. If Orion didn't know him on sight, there was still a chance that Kent would, and that could be all they needed.

“Take it easy,” Toma told Shin. “He's had a rough day, a long one, and anyone would be confused and upset by all that's gone on today.”

“Is that all it was?” Kent asked, directing his attention to Orion. “Or did you have other reasons for concealing what you've now unintentionally revealed?”

Orion's eyes widened. “I didn't do anything bad—”

“Leave him alone,” she said, trying to rise and letting out a whimper of pain before she fell back against the couch. She shuddered, but she pulled her brother close to her. “Don't talk to him like that. He—he doesn't deserve to be scared, and you're too harsh. You are always too harsh. You think that we can learn practical life lessons instead of dealing with pain, but that's not how it is. You... I really wonder if you feel anything at all.”

Kent stiffened, his face losing color again. “Exactly what conversation between us do you remember to provoke that reaction? I know it was not the one over your height. Those words are too much for that. Or am I mistaken in thinking so, Ikkyu?”

“No, I'd say you touched a much bigger nerve,” Ikki said, frowning. “Ken, please tell me you did not insult her brother before.”

Kent swallowed. “We... may have disagreed over the practicality of her raising her brother at her age without the education and experience to better him.”

“Seriously?” Toma asked. “You said that to her? How could she not take that the wrong way? If you'd said that to me about Shin, I'd have hit you.”

Kent folded his arms over his chest, defensive. “I... I suppose I may as well say what prompted my earlier question, as I am to be vilified regardless. I felt it necessary to ask if your circumstances had suffered great enough of a reversal to where you were living in that warehouse.”

“What?” Orion asked, his eyes wide again. He looked at his sister and then Kent, shocked.

“Kent—”

“Leave it alone,” Shin said. “The kid hasn't actually told us what they were doing there, and Kent's had the first idea that makes any sense. Are you all forgetting he's the only one here besides her brother who knew her at all before? He'd have a better idea of what might be going on than the rest of us—even the kid.”

“Excuse me?”

“It's pretty clear she was keeping things from you, or have you missed that, too?” Shin asked, shaking his head in annoyance. “She was keeping their financial state from him, wasn't she?”

“From what I gathered, yes,” Kent said, looking away as he spoke. “She never spoke directly to me of it, either, but it was clear that while supporting her brother was what she wanted, she was very worried about her ability to keep doing so. Her income varied from day to day based on the tips, and when the cafe had a lull, she would show signs of concern over whether or not she could continue to pay their bills. Her behavior would be preoccupied to a degree inconsistent with the level of customers, and knowing what I did about her brother and her status as his caregiver, it was a logical connection to make. Additionally, from her reaction to any advice regarding his care, it did seem she was quite sensitive to the idea that she was not able to handle her responsibilities. Also... her efforts to offset those losses and reversals were done when her brother was away for school functions or otherwise unaware of her taking on extra work.”

“Neesan,” Orion said, frowning and looking at her. She lowered her head, not looking at anyone. “I'd ask you if that's true, but I think it is... and you don't even remember, so it's not fair to ask.”

She shrugged helplessly. “I don't remember. It... could be true.”

“Is Kent right?” Toma asked, concerned. “Were you living in that warehouse?”

“No,” Orion protested immediately. He held his sister's hands in his. “Don't think that. Neesan takes good care of me. We've been doing really well, actually. Two years ago, we got a better place closer to Neesan's work, and I was able to change schools. This one has this great after hours program where I get to learn all sorts of things—about food and calligraphy and all this other stuff I didn't learn about before at my old school. We're doing really well, really. We're not homeless.”

Toma glanced at Kent, trying to figure out what that expression was. Kent varied between obvious and completely unreadable, though he was still tense, that much was clear, but maybe he was just thinking. He did go blank when he was thinking, but this was a little different, too. Ikki probably knew. He was good at reading Kent in the way that only Toma could read Shin.

“Then you'd better tell us what you were doing there,” Shin said. “How did you and your sister get to that warehouse?”

Orion looked over at his sister. “I went there looking for Neesan.”

“How did you know she'd be there?”

Orion sighed. “I didn't. I just... I was looking everywhere I could for her, and that warehouse was one of the places along that path she kept using, so I snuck inside and looked around and I found her. I didn't know I would.”

“The path she kept using?”

Orion nodded, giving his sister another glance. “Neesan kept coming home later and later, and she seemed more and more tired, but she always told me she was fine. One day, class got out early, so I... I followed her after work.”

Neesan stared at him. “You did what?”

“I followed you,” Orion said. “And... you kept taking these weird, winding paths home, and it was strange. I didn't know why. You'd duck into shops and stay there for a long time without buying stuff, and then you'd walk home like usual. It was... just weird. I didn't know why you were doing it, and you never told me. Just... one night you didn't come home from work, Sawa and Mine said they hadn't seen you, so... I looked everywhere you'd walked before, even places you never went in. It was all I could think of.”

“Not bad, kid,” Toma said. The boy's instincts weren't wrong. He'd done the best he could, too, and it was admirable, if a bit risky. And what was up with the girl's behavior?

She looked down at their hands. “I don't remember any of that. I can't tell you why I was walking odd paths or anything like that.”

“We'll get back to that later,” Shin said, and it was a threat and a promise all rolled into one. He wasn't about to let that detail go. “We need to know what your brother saw.”

“Yeah,” Toma agreed. This could be very big. “There was someone at the warehouse, then?”

“Not exactly. In the warehouse, I tried to get her out on my own, but she was too heavy. I was just going to wait, but I smelled smoke and... I knew I had to do something. I thought we'd be okay when she woke up, even when she didn't know me, though that was scary, too, but... not like when she passed out before the door. I didn't know what else to do, so I ran for help,” Orion said. “When I'd gone in, there was no one there, but... I heard someone laughing.”

“Laughing?”

“I can assure you it was not me,” Kent said. “I have very little humor these days, and certainly nothing was amusing on my way to the cafe. And by that point, as I understand it, I'd already started to 'space out' due to the fire. Ikkyu can tell you that laughing is not part of the hysterics I show when in one of those... moments.”

“Yeah, it's definitely not laughter,” Ikki agreed in a voice that said a lot to anyone who knew him well. Whatever Kent did in those moments must be difficult to watch. Toma was starting to understand more and more why they'd kept anyone else from knowing how bad it was. “Not even close to laughter.”

“No, Kent was staring at the building and didn't see or hear me until I grabbed his coat and he jumped,” Orion said. “He was all... weird and didn't come when I asked for help, so I... I almost asked that other guy, but when I looked back across the street, the one who'd been laughing was gone. I didn't know where he went, but I ran back to help Neesan. I was still trying to wake her up again when the wall caved in and... I kind of thought that was it for both of us.”

She hugged him close again, her bandages showing under her sleeves. Toma swallowed, knowing he wasn't the only one to recognize that kind—they'd gotten to see Kent covered in plenty of them. Then again, Kent had also been willing to do that tilapia skin thing, and that was worse. Toma really didn't want to think about that.

“Do you think you'd recognize this laughing man if you saw him again?” Shin asked. “If we got a sketch artist to talk to you, you could get describe him?”

“I don't know, maybe?” Orion grimaced. “I didn't get a great look at him. His face was shadowed and he was creepy, so I ran for the guy that seemed... a little less scary?”

“Nice,” Shin said, looking over at Kent. Kent met his look, clearly not amused by the statement.

“It's something, at least,” Toma said. “We'll have to arrange for the sketch artist to—”

“Meet you at the station,” Kent said, and Toma frowned at him. “If you are intending to use my home as your 'safe' house, why do you persist in revealing its location to everyone? I do not want anyone else in my home.”

A loud chime came at the end of his words, and he flinched like he'd been smacked.

“What was that?”

“The doorbell.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ukyo joins the others, some revelations are had, and for the steps forward comes one backward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I will explain the reasoning behind the name at the end of the chapter if one is interested in that.

* * *

“Ah, Kent.” Ukyo looked up with a smile when the door opened. That was rather a relief, since this could well have been a fool's errand, coming here instead of going back across town. “I was hoping you might be here.”

“I believe you're the only one to express such a sentiment,” Kent said. “Nevertheless, since you are here, I assume you have some reason for it and not merely to express odd emotions. Come inside before the door locks on you.”

Ukyo frowned, but he followed Kent into the building, once again impressed by the way the architect used the space here. He knew it had once been a warehouse, but even for such a structure, it was not very wide and had gone tall instead to make up the difference in space. Kent kept the walls clean, most of the rooms completely uncluttered, which left the walls and lighting exposed to be admired. Ukyo stopped, taking a picture of the stairwell again, as he frequently did when he walked past it. The shadows created by different times of day never stopped impressing him.

Kent looked back at him with a frown. “Why do you always do that?”

“There is beauty in the simplest of things,” Ukyo told him with a smile. “And your sense of aesthetics always brings that out here.”

Kent sighed. “You realize I have changed little in the way of this house's original furnishings nor do I care to. That is unnecessary to my work, and this is... passable as it is.”

“You are so telling the wrong person that,” Ikki said, coming into the hallway. “I think Ukyo still has pictures somewhere of what it was like before, don't you?”

Ukyo smiled, for he did have many pictures of Kent's home from his early days on the task force. At the time, just having moved from Kyoto, he'd lost his hotel and had nowhere to go, leaving him facing a night on the streets—not his first by any means, he would have survived it sleeping rough in the park—but Kent had insisted it was only logical that Ukyo come here as there was 'an excess of space.'

He always had to smile at that memory. Though Kent was far from the warmest member of their team—that role went to Toma in most ways, as dangerous as he could be—he had welcomed Ukyo into his home. Sometimes Ukyo thought that choice—one he knew Kent saw as insignificant—had been the start of the sense of family the task force had given him. He'd belonged somewhere, and it was a strange feeling for him after so many years alone. Part of that was how Kent and Ikki were somewhat of a package deal, the two of them so close of friends they were often together, and the other part came from the bond, however reluctant on Shin's part, between him and Toma. Ukyo had found it could be somewhat strange on the outside of either of those pairs, but somehow the five of them—six if he counted Waka—had become rather close.

“I was on my way to give my photographs to Makato, but I wanted to do some editing first,” Ukyo explained. He gave Kent a sheepish smile. “I left a lot of my equipment back in Kyoto again, and while the station has some of what I need—”

“The dark room is where it was before, and if you want, you can share the digital files with the others on any of the screens inside the house—though someone will have to resettle our guests before then,” Kent said, starting to walk away from them and stopping. “You're somewhat familiar with the technology that allows for photographic manipulation, aren't you, Ukyo?”

“Um, Ken, think about it before you accuse a nationally acclaimed photographer of photoshopping something.”

Kent frowned. “That wasn't what I meant at all. I merely thought it might be possible for Ukyo to create an image of the man the child saw rather than bring in another outsider.”

Ukyo hadn't known the boy saw anyone at the fire. “Do we have a suspect, then?”

“Maybe two,” Ikki answered. Kent shook his head, but Ikki shrugged. “It's still possible someone resents losing this place to Ken in such a humiliating way. It's unlikely, but since we're pretty sure this killer has some kind of... issue with Ken, we're going to look into it. And Orion saw someone at the fire, laughing.”

Ukyo frowned. That image was extremely unsettling, someone standing at the site of such honor and delighting in it. That kind of sickness scared him. “Then we should try and find this person as soon as possible. Even if they had nothing to do with setting that fire... how can someone find anything to laugh at in such destruction and loss of life?”

“How do you even do that?” Shin asked, sounding annoyed. “It's like you're too pure to be real. People have dark sides. The world is a messed up place, full of bad people who do bad things, and you always see the beauty in it.”

“Shin,” Ikki said. “It's not like Ukyo's unaware of the darkness. He sees it in the photos he takes. It's not like we don't all wonder in our way why someone would do this. We know it ties to Ken, but why? The yakuza he went up against aren't a threat anymore, but for someone to hate him this much...”

“They have to know him really well?” Shin asked, giving Kent another glance.

“I don't think that can be true,” Ukyo said. “Those who know Kent well know that underneath his bluntness and harsh words there is kindness as well.”

Kent sighed. “I may have given you a false representation of myself. At any rate, I have no interest in continuing this conversation. Ikkyu, I believe the best room for Kokoa and her brother is the one on the second floor—”

 _“Kokoa?”_ Shin demanded, his voice coming out strange. “What the—is her name really Kokoa?”

Kent sighed, pinching his nose. “It may well be that her reason for preferring her brother call her only 'Neesan' is because she has a rather... _kirakira_ name.”

Ikki smiled, apparently enjoying this. Ukyo wanted to see this woman again, since her name seemed like happiness itself, for who didn't like a warm cup of hot cocoa on a cold day? It might suit her well.

“I don't believe this,” Shin ground out. “All this time since you recognized her at the hospital, and you never once mentioned her name?”

Kent gave him a baleful look. “You never asked.”

Ikki laughed, his whole body shaking with his amusement. Ukyo smiled, lifting his camera to catch that moment. It was rare to see Ikki express genuine emotions, no matter what they were, as he fell easily into his old patterns of acting around even those he was closest to—with one exception in Kent—and Ukyo always liked to capture that when he could.

“What's so funny?” the boy asked, coming around the corner. “Ikki?”

“He's being an idiot,” Shin muttered. “It's not that funny, even if your sister's name _is_ ridiculous.”

“What?” Orion asked, looking around at all of them in confusion. “You're making fun of my sister? How could you? She's confused and scared and hurting and—”

“It wasn't that,” Ikki said. “It was Ken. And Shin's right. It shouldn't have been that funny.”

“Which only proves that Ikkyu has been awake for longer than he should have been,” Kent said. “I am never that amusing.”

“Oh.”

Kent looked at the boy again, studying him. “Was it just the laughter that brought you out here? Or did you have more reasons?”

Orion frowned. “I don't—why would you think I had other reasons?”

“Besides the conversation we were engaged in before Ukyo's arrival?” Kent asked, folding his arms over his chest. “You are a somewhat precocious child with your sister's boldness and no shortage of bravery, even quite reckless, but you're not completely without manners, either, so it seems unlikely you'd interrupt a conversation between adults—especially when those adults are policemen—without good reason. Also, you share a very similar expression with your sister when there's something you wish to say and are unwilling or unable to do so directly.”

“I do?” Orion frowned. “No one's ever said that before. Most people think we don't look much alike and some even say we can't really be family.”

Kent adjusted his glasses. “I'm not speaking of genetics, just mannerisms. What do you want?”

“Wow, Kent, way to ruin the moment by being yourself,” Toma said, coming into the doorway. “I think they're wrong, by the way. You're more like your sister than you think.”

Ukyo would like to photograph them together to see, but he thought Toma might be right about that. Kent's words hinted at it, even if that hadn't been his intention.

“Of course,” Kent said, shaking his head as he turned, walking away from them, leaving everyone else standing in the hallway in confusion.

“I hate when he does that,” Shin grumbled. “So annoying.”

“I find it comforting,” Ukyo said, getting looks from everyone. He smiled. “It's Kent when he's figuring out a problem. He's always so... focused and determined. He'll find a solution if he doesn't already have one. It's reassuring, especially with the work we do.”

“If you say so.”

Ukyo turned to the boy in front of him. “I understand you saw someone that we need a picture of. Now, my form of... art, if you will, is photography, so I'm not in any way an expert, but there is some software that may be of assistance, so we might try that.”

“Okay.”

* * *

She bit down hard on her lip as the pain started getting worse, wondering where everyone had gone to. She wished she felt like she could move, but she knew that she couldn't. Still, she didn't want to be alone. She needed Orion by her to be sure he was okay, and she wondered if it was always so hard to let him out of her sight. She felt like it must be, but even as she tried to find the memories that proved it, she couldn't.

All she could do was close her eyes and hope the pain would lessen soon enough.

_“Neesan, it hurts,” Orion whimpered, trembling in her arms. He seemed smaller than usual, and he'd grown so much this year, out of all his clothes and two sizes above them, and she'd been at her wits' end trying to keep him clothed. “It hurts so much. Why won't it stop hurting?”_

_“Shh,” she told him, rocking him gently and humming the melody of an old lullaby her parents had taught her years ago. “It'll be okay. You'll feel better soon.”_

_She hated seeing him sick or hurt. It broke her heart every time. She gave his feverish forehead a kiss, hoping he'd fall asleep soon so he wouldn't be in pain anymore. He had to get better soon. He just had to, and not just because if she didn't go to work tomorrow they'd fire her. She couldn't take seeing him suffer. She didn't understand how this had happened. Orion was such a sweet boy, and she didn't know how anyone could do this._

_Was it her fault? Had she made a mistake thinking she could take care of him? Protect him? She was all alone, and she couldn't watch out for him all the time. If she'd been home, then he would never have been able to run out into the street._

_She should have been home. If she'd only been home..._

“Here.”

She winced, looking up to see the man she didn't want to see right now, not after what she'd said earlier. She had really overreacted, and she felt ashamed of herself. She didn't know why she'd been so quick to do that, especially when that memory wasn't like what she'd said at all.

“You'll want to eat first,” Kent said, holding out the plate. “The medication they gave you is very unpleasant on an empty stomach.”

“What?”

“You're in a great deal of pain. That's to be expected with the severity of your burns and your other injuries. If you were still in the hospital, the intravenous fluids would negate the nausea and other effects of the painkillers, but as you are not, it will be very difficult to take them without eating. You will want food.”

“You should probably take him up on that,” Ikki said, sitting back down in the chair he'd had before. “That was not a pleasant sight.”

“What?”

Kent grimaced. “It's nothing. Please take the plate.”

She reached for it, but her arms hurt so much she couldn't help crying out, and she let her hands fall to her lap. He knelt down next to her, looking at her in concern. Orion crowded in next to him, and she could see fear in his eyes.

“Would it be easier if you lay down? Perhaps you should—here, your leg should be elevated. That will relieve some of the pain there and—this angle would be better. ” Kent set a pillow under her leg and sat back, considering things for a moment. “I am uncertain there is anything else we can do before you take your medication, but the fact remains... You still need to eat.”

Ikki smiled wickedly. “Why don't you feed her, Ken?”

“What?” Just about everyone asked at once, and Kent went red.

“No. That would be—”

“I'd volunteer,” Ikki said with a grin. “Anything to help a lady in need, am I right?”

“Ikkyu,” Kent said in a warning tone. “That is hardly necessary, and even if it were, she would be more likely to ask her brother than you or any of us.”

She tried not to blush. She'd almost thought Kent would do it if pushed, and she was sure that would be better than one of the others who was a complete stranger. Also, she'd raised Orion. She wasn't sure she wanted him feeding her. He gave her an encouraging smile, though, and she knew he'd do it if she asked.

She eyed the food with misgiving. “How much do I have to eat?”

“Well, if you were Ken, at least the whole plate or you'll be puking for the rest of the night, but given your height, weight, and likely body mass...” Ikki leaned back in his seat, thinking. “I'll need a minute. I'm not as fast at this as Ken is.”

She knew she had to be red now. They were talking about how much she weighed and how fat she was. This was humiliating. She clenched her fist, trying to find words.

“I'd recommend at least half the plate,” Kent said, and she frowned at him. “I found it was better to have more food rather than less, even if the pain made it difficult to eat. I would have made soup as drinking seems easier, but it doesn't negate enough of the acid to make taking the painkillers tolerable.”

“You keep talking like you know about all this.”

Kent shook his head. “You can disregard my suggestions if you like. I am no medical expert.”

That wasn't what she meant at all, and she was pretty sure he had misunderstood her on purpose. He rose, setting the plate in front of her so she could reach it easily enough if she dared try and move her arm again.

“Ken,” Ikki said, sounding like he was chastising him, but Kent just shook his head as he left the room. She frowned, twisting her lip up and trying to understand.

“I didn't mean to upset him. Not now... and not before,” she added, wincing again when she thought about what she'd said.

“Assuming Kent is an emotionless robot is not that uncommon,” the man in the checkered hat said, smiling when he looked at her. “Though it's not entirely true.”

“Still happens all the time,” Toma said. “And... Come on, Shin, you know you're going to say it.”

“Screw you, Toma. You want it said, you say it.”

“What he's not saying but definitely thinking is that Kent acts like it most of the time,” Toma said. “Insensitive, blunt, rude... Kent's all of that and more, which you seem to know pretty well, judging from what you said earlier.”

She shook her head. “No, that was my pride. I...”

She didn't want to say it. Not now. Not in front of Orion. She reached for the sandwich and took a bite, surprised by how good it tasted. The egg was perfectly fluffy, the omelet cooked with skill before being placed on the bread, and despite it being cold and her pain, it was delicious.

“Good,” Ikki said when he saw her eating. “If you hadn't done it, I probably would have had to tease you into it. Ken really was miserable on that stuff they gave you.”

“He had to take it, too?” Orion asked, looking at the plate like he wanted some of her food. If she only needed half of it, he could eat the rest.

Ikkyu nodded. “Even after he convinced his doctors to treat the burns with tilapia—”

“Don't say it. That's still too gross,” Shin said, looking a little queasy. “None of us want to think about that.”

“He was still in a lot of pain,” Ikki finished. He shook his head. “They make it seem so easy on television or in the movies. It's all acting, and it's all fake, and when they call 'cut,' you get out of the wheelchair and move around like nothing ever happened. It doesn't work that way in real life.”

Orion stopped just before he took a piece of the sandwich. “Kent couldn't walk?”

“Nice, Ikki. Way to confuse the kid,” Shin grumbled. “He didn't get paralyzed; that's not it.”

“The house collapsed when he was trying to get his mom out,” Toma said. “Kent got caught in the rubble, took a bad hit, and the bones in his leg were shattered. They got set properly after the second surgery, but it still took him months to heal.”

“Oh.”

She hesitated before taking another bite. She wanted to eat enough to get her medication, but she was curious, too. “What about his mom?”

Ikki winced. “That's right. You missed that part.”

“She died,” Orion whispered, and she thought he was really upset about it, though Kent was mostly a stranger to them—at least to him. Then again, her brother was a kind, good soul, wasn't he? “They both did, right?”

Toma nodded. “They said his dad was killed instantly. His mom... she was alive for at least a little while afterward.”

She dropped her sandwich, completely losing her appetite. How horrible, and yet Kent had let her say such terrible things earlier. What if that wasn't the first time? No, it wasn't. She'd said something similar before, she remembered that.

_Oh, no. Tell me I did not say that to him after his parents died. Please. How heartless was I?_

* * *

“Hmm,” Toma said, watching Orion make short work of the rest of his sister's plate. She'd stopped eating a couple bites in, and Ikki had given her the pain pills despite her eating less than half of what Kent recommended. Toma wasn't sure if he'd gone ahead and done the calculations or not, but he seemed to think she'd be okay. That, or he just pitied how tired and pained she looked. They all did. Someone had to pay for doing this to her—and the others that had died in that fire. “Ikki, you have any idea if Kent has more of those sandwiches around?”

Shin snorted, and Toma had to wonder why he was even still here. It wasn't like him to wait around, and there were other things he could be doing to work on the case even if they didn't have the boy's description yet. “Knowing him, it's impractical to keep a lot of food around when he's the only one here.”

Ikki smiled. “Well, you can say that, and it's true, he's said that much before, but he probably has a full refrigerator right now.”

Shin frowned. “A full refrigerator? The man who has to be reminded to eat and considers protein bars a meal?”

“Cooking relaxes him,” Ikki said as he rose. “And he considers it a form of therapy. If he can handle the steam, he's having a good day. If not...”

Toma shook his head. That was very Kent, and still sad all at the same time.

“Kent made this?” Orion asked, staring at Ikki in disbelief. “That guy cooks?”

“I think he's improved on it considerably since we first met,” Ukyo said. “Back when I first stayed with him, there was no food in the house at all, and without Ikki, we might both have starved.”

“Well, I want some,” Toma said, rising. He hadn't eaten since he left the house this morning, and it wasn't like any of them was going to get another chance to eat soon. Besides, Toma was curious now. Was Kent really that good of a cook? “I think we'll just get another taste...”

He heard a crash and took off running about the same time as Ikki. He didn't look back to see if any of the others followed them, not wanting to waste time even if this might not be an emergency. They were all on edge, and a part of him was sure that if it had been a window that just broke, some alarm would be going off, too, but that didn't mean he wasn't worried.

He shoved the kitchen door open and ran in, stopping at the edge of the counter.

“Oh, hell.”

Kent didn't answer, lost in thought or something as he stared at his arm. Blood flowed out over the scarred flesh, dripping down onto the floor.

“Ken,” Ikki said, stepping around Toma and moving closer to him. “Look at me. Come on, you can hear me, right? What did you do?”

Kent shuddered, closing his eyes with a wince. “Damn it. This... Such a simple task... Washing dishes... necessary... part of... routine. Routines are for rebuilding. Creating confidence. Restoring balance and normalcy.”

“Your shrink tell you that?” Shin asked, clearly unimpressed with the suggestion.

“Yes,” Kent whispered, keeping his eyes closed. “One of few intelligent suggestions she made. Idiotic emotional nonsense... thinking I had some deeper trauma underneath this, but no. I don't. I was fine until my parents died.”

Toma eyed the broken piece of the plate scattered across the floor. Exactly how had that gotten Kent's arm like that? Or did he cut himself before he dropped the plate?

“At any rate, I find the mundane helpful in managing some parts of this... condition. Yet... I have no memory of choosing this task. I don't...”

“We all do crap like that,” Toma said, shrugging as he looked around for the broom. “Normal everyday stuff, we just do it and forget. It's not like we have to tell ourselves to breathe or take a piss.”

“Nice,” Shin said, actually smiling that time.

Kent shook his head. “You act as though what I have done is normal, but to have no recollection of the decision or the actions leading up to the act—I had to take off my coat and hang it up. I... rolled up my sleeves...”

“Yeah, and that may well have been what set you off this time,” Ikki said, taking a cloth from the drawer next to the sink. He ran it under the water and rang it out before using it to cover Kent's arm. “You wear layers and long sleeves on purpose so you don't have to see them, but the scars are still there, you know.”

“I am aware of that, yes,” Kent said, eying his own arm with what looked like fear. “It is stupid. I don't—this should not be happening. I feel as though... I can't think. I have to, I know that. I should be able to. It... I... the answer is there. It must be. I am certain that... if I could think... it will be obvious, whatever it is, but I can't... She's here... And my head... there's no clarity... I... I can't separate it. I keep reliving that day... over and over... it... She said... she hated me... and...”

“Ken, your mom never said that,” Ikki insisted. “I know that being trapped like that with her, you imagine all sorts of terrible things, but it wasn't like that. Your parents loved you, and your mom... I know she had to just be glad you were there with her when she was hurt and scared and dying. Okay? That's what it was. Whatever else you think... that's you feeling guilty for surviving. That's all it is. Trust me.”

“Ikkyu...”

“I know you don't want this, but I think it's time,” Ikki said, reaching into his pocket. He opened the bottle and shook out two of the pills. “You need to take them, Ken. You have to rest.”

Kent shook his head. “No. Whatever it is—this reason why someone is killing these people—it's about me—and I should know what it is—and if I could just—”

“Don't make me shove the pills down your throat,” Shin said. “Take 'em, sleep it off, and when your head is clear, you'll have the answer. As it is, you're no use to anyone, so just do it already.”

Toma went to the cupboard. He grabbed a glass and filled it with water, holding it out to Kent. “None of us blames you, though. That's not what Shin's saying. He's just worried as hell and showing it badly as usual. This... it's kind of scary. Not gonna lie.”

Kent looked at the glass, making no move to take it. “It was an accident.”

“Are you sure about that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The heroine has no default name in the game, unlike some other games, so there's no set one to use. When I first started my game, I used one that sort of 'fit' me but was not very suited to the game's setting, and I didn't want to carry that over to fics. I managed to avoid using one at all in Deliberation, but it was impossible to here, even with the honorific in place for part of it. That got me thinking about names that people wouldn't necessarily want to use, and that seemed perfect: she had a name she was embarrassed of and stuck to Neesan with Orion in part because of it.
> 
> My research to that end led me to _kirakira_ names, which are "sparkly" and the combination of the meaning or the kanji for them is pretty unique. Topping a list of these names was Kokoa/Kokona – 心愛 – “heart’s love.”
> 
> That fit the heroine as well as made it a little embarrassing as _kokoa_ is the Japanese word for hot cocoa. It felt like a good choice.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The latest plan of action gets interrupted as more possibilites for suspects are found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's kind of funny how when you want to get to a twist (well, plot point) and you want to get there fast and yet the story would be lessened if it was rushed and then even while you're busy doing that, you decide to go crazy and finish a vid you started and... somehow still finish a chapter and sort of advance a plot.
> 
> Well, I hope, at least.

* * *

“As much as I can be, I suppose,” Kent said, lifting the cloth off his arm. “The angle, for one, is wrong. Had I truly intended to cause harm, it should have been done in a perpendicular manner, so as to ensure the greatest opening of the blood vessel in question and—”

“Stop it. Just stop. Right now,” Shin snapped. He did not want to hear any more. “I don't even want to know why you would think it was okay to say that.”

Kent frowned, like he'd thought that what he'd said was actually reassuring. “While I admit that it is difficult to see a reason to _want_ to continue on like this and that I truly do hate the way this makes me feel, I... the more logical conclusion is that I should have died in the fire in the first place, and having not done so... I must conclude instead that there is some reason yet why I remain here. Having been confronted with this... inescapable fate and the evidence that seems to prove such an unlikely supposition... I must... see this part through... though as I said... the reason behind these killings eludes me... in a way I feel certain is going to be obnoxiously obvious when I am capable of behaving in a truly rational manner.”

“Okay, part of that sounded like normal you, and the rest of that says you're going to kill yourself after you know why this is all happening,” Shin said, and Kent blinked. “I know you don't know how you sound, but it's how you sound.”

“Shin's right,” Toma agreed. “You did really sound like you'd just... end it once you'd figured this out, and that is why Ikki hasn't managed to say anything yet.”

Kent looked at Ikki, frowning. “I don't know why you'd believe me capable of that. Do I seem so very unstable to you, too, Ikkyu?”

Ikki winced. “I don't want to believe you'd do it. None of us does.” 

“You know better than that,” Kent said, almost sounding hurt. “We've had discussions in the past regarding how illogical I thought the practice of _seppuku_ was, the irrational actions in your samurai films—how death cannot change the dishonor and it would seem like the better form of atonement was not dying as that ends all obligation for the dead and solves little for the living, but instead suggests that more work is required—a lifetime's worth of debt—and yet...”

“Yet?” 

“Thinking of my own situation... Even had the man who arranged my parents' murder shown any signs of remorse... I do not think I would wish him alive or on a course of redemption,” Kent said, a bit of anger creeping into his voice before he calmed himself again. “Curious. There is a disconnect and a bias when it is less abstract.”

“So you want the guy who killed your parents dead,” Shin said. “That just makes you human.”

Kent grimaced. “I do not see why that sentiment is so... humanizing when it should be the opposite. And this conversation achieves nothing. I do not know more than before, and I am quite tired of being humiliated in front of all of you.”

“Well, Ukyo missed it,” Toma said. “He stayed behind with the kid and his sister.”

“Oh.”

“She took her medication and is probably asleep by now,” Toma said. Shin figured she was out before any of them left the room. “Ikki can move her into the bedroom later, but the kid was still hungry and we figured we'd try and get some more food into him. Then Ukyo can get his description if he's still awake—”

“Great,” Shin said, frustrated. Another delay. “And if he falls asleep before then?”

“We let him rest,” Ikki said, getting a glare from Shin. “Even if we had a picture in hand, it doesn't do us any good unless someone can recognize him. She won't. Orion didn't know who he was. Kent might, but he's likely to have another fugue if we ask him now. Her coworkers at the cafe will have gone home for the night and we don't have addresses or phone numbers for them. About all you'd be able to do right now is start a facial recognition search—”

“And we all know that that might not do us any good,” Toma said. “You can spare me the lectures. I've heard them all—I've even given a few myself.”

Shin grunted. Last thing he wanted to deal with was Toma thinking he was some kind of tech expert just because he could rig a few cameras and do a few searches. “We need to be doing something.”

“And we will,” Ikki said. “I don't have to be the one to put the girl in bed, much as I might want to be, and someone needs to sweep this mess up—”

“I can do that,” Kent said. “Stop looking at me like that. I am... better now. You can all leave. I am certain there are other things you could be doing besides that search. You do not need to stay and babysit me. The security measures here are above standard, which is why Waka sent the other witnesses here as well, so aside from my own reluctance to deal with them, there is no reason for any of you to remain here.”

“Except there's plenty,” Ikki disagreed. “Checking the background on our suspect and our lady's friends can be done here, Ukyo has his pictures to work with as well as the software to composite the face, and if this person really is after you, you are not going to be left alone.”

“Until the inevitable conclusion is reached that the best way to draw this person out is to use me as bait, of course.”

Ikki winced. “No.”

“The thought has crossed my mind, but we don't even know who we're up against,” Toma said. “If we have to use you as bait, I want to be prepared for what's going to happen, and right now, there is way too much we don't know.”

“Yeah,” Shin agreed. “We'd want to 'control all the variables.'”

Kent shook his head. “There is no need to mock me further. I have already apologized for my pathetic behavior and inability to give you the answers you require—a part of me suspects I may not have them at all—and yet that must be wishful thinking, something I am not prone to doing.”

He reached up to rub his head, and Shin grimaced when he managed to spread blood on his face. As soon as he realized what he'd done, he went white, choking a little.

“Come on,” Ikki said. “We're going to go clean that up and bandage it.”

* * *

“So, here is where we put your sister,” Ukyo said, opening the door for Orion to peer inside. His eyes widened at the room—it seemed bigger than their whole apartment, and that was even better than the place they had before it, where he'd lived as long as he could remember with Neesan. This place really was huge.

“Is this... Kent's room?” Orion asked. This one was so big, it had to belong to the guy who owned the place, didn't it?

Ukyo shook his head. “To be honest, I'm not sure which room is Kent's. Ikki would know, I suppose, but Kent... I don't know that he has ever fully taken possession of this house, even if it is his. He used to spend most of his time in the labs downstairs, so if he did end up choosing a room, it's probably one of them.”

Orion looked back at the room, biting his lip. “There's room enough for all of you and more here, and Kent lives by himself.”

Ukyo nodded. “Yes, he does, though I don't know that he ever intended it to be that way.”

“You don't think so? Kent doesn't seem like someone who wants a lot of people around.”

Ukyo smiled slightly. “Kent's never been used to that, I know, but that doesn't mean he's never wanted it. Sometimes I wonder, having met Kent's parents—who were genuinely nice people and I liked them well; we all did, even Shin who thought they were insane—if he hadn't long ago decided that wanting more than he had was illogical and buried any feelings towards that, pretending even to himself that he didn't want it. I tried to do the same myself, though with far less success.”

“What do you mean?”

“My grandparents' home in Kyoto was like paradise to me, but we moved away from there, traveling many places for my parents' work. I longed for a place like the one I'd known, for stability and the sort of affection my parents no longer had time to show me,” Ukyo said, looking like he might actually cry right here. “The sight of that house back in Kyoto still brings me to tears, longing for what once was and what perhaps never was. The others know of my pain and even those same foolish tears, but if Kent has cried... I think only Ikki has ever seen that.”

“Oh,” Orion said. He still wasn't sure he understood. If Kent's parents were such good people, why did they keep him from showing how he felt? Not that it was right, what they said about him being a robot, or what Neesan had said about him not having a heart. Orion had already seen that Kent did have one, even if he was very strange about it. “Is that why they say he doesn't feel?”

“More that... he hides his emotions even from himself, though I have no doubt he feels them just as intensely as the rest of us do,” Ukyo said, doing something with his camera. “He's not used to showing it or sharing them, which is what makes this all so hard on him, but he feels them all the same.”

“Ukyo, you get the kid in bed yet or what?” Toma called, coming up the stairs. Orion could hear him taking them two at a time. He stopped as he rounded the corner. “Really? The idea here was that we all went in our little beds, and we all got sleep, and in the morning we figure things out. Why isn't he in his room?”

“The room I suggested to Ikki is large enough for her to share with her brother should he wish it. The bed itself is large enough that she should not be injured in her sleep even if he is the sort to move about,” Kent said, coming out of the room at the other end of the hall, a white bandage covering part of his arm. Orion swallowed, now able to see some of the burns scars that his coat had hidden before. They went all the way up past where his sleeves were rolled up, and Orion wondered if they covered him everywhere under his clothes. That was kind of scary.

“Looks like you got yourself patched up,” Toma said. “Not too bad, Ikki.”

Ikki shrugged. “I'd have preferred my patient be a beautiful young woman, to be honest. Ken just isn't my type.”

“Ikkyu,” Kent said. He yanked both of his sleeves down over his hands, covering bandages and scars alike. “I thought you were leaving, Toma.”

“That was Shin. I never said I was in any hurry to go.”

“Fine. I do not care if you stay. The room you prefer remains empty, and you may even have left some of your things there.”

“I am going to want to borrow a computer.”

“As long as you don't touch any of the ones in the lab, I don't care,” Kent said, frowning at him. “Why are you making me repeat things I know you already know?”

Toma shrugged, and Orion thought he was trying to make things better, but he wasn't so sure it was working. Kent just seemed annoyed now, though annoyed could be better than afraid or whatever it was he'd been when he saw his own arms.

“No... Orion... you... can't...”

He turned at the sound of his sister's voice. Her eyes were still closed, and he didn't think she was awake, but she'd definitely said his name. He pushed past Ukyo and went to the bed, stopping next to her. She was okay, right? She was just dreaming, and dreaming was okay. If she was remembering, it might hurt some to remember because that guy—laughing man or no laughing man—that person hurt her. A lot.

“No, don't,” she begged, starting to toss and turn. “Please. I'll do what you want. Just... leave Orion alone.”

“Neesan, it's me, I'm here,” Orion said, taking her hand again. “It's fine. No one's hurting me. You're safe here. We're both safe. Please listen to me.”

He could hear the others moving closer, but he didn't look away from his sister. She pulled her hand away from his, shaking her head and thrashing about in the sheets.

“No, don't... You don't have to do this...”

“Neesan, please,” Orion said. He climbed up onto the bed with her, wanting her to know he was there. He had to do something. He had to help her. He didn't know how—Neesan wasn't the one with nightmares—he was, and they were stupid ones, too, about crazy things that would never happen but mostly about losing Neesan.

He shook her shoulder as gently as he could. “Neesan, please wake up.”

She screamed right in his ear, shoving him away from her. He fell off the bed, landing on the floor with a groan. “Ouch.”

“Orion?”

* * *

“I'm okay,” her brother said, picking himself up off the floor. He frowned at her. “I'm more worried about you, Neesan. You... screamed. You sounded really scared. And...”

She swallowed, the unpleasant taste of her stomach's churning coming up her throat. She tried to ignore it and the pain, but Kent was right. She should have eaten that whole plate. She felt so sick right now, sure she was going to puke, and not just because of what she'd just remembered.

“You seemed to believe your brother was in danger,” Ikki said from the doorway, and she noticed that the rest of them were also in the room. She thought the only one missing was Shin. That was embarrassing. “It almost sounded as if—”

“Why don't we let her get her bearings a little, guys?” Toma asked. “I'm sure she needs a minute to know she's really woken up. Go ahead. Take it. The room won't be familiar because we moved you while you were sleeping, but you're still safe. This is Kent's house. We're on the second floor of the fortress, and I think this is supposed to be the master bedroom, but don't worry, Kent doesn't use it.”

She nodded, still shaky. That dream—another memory—had been so unsettling. She didn't want to think about it, didn't want that back.

“What's going on?” Shin asked from the doorway, and she thought he must have run all the way up here. She winced. Did she have to tell them? “What happened? Did you remember something?”

“Shin—”

“Was it the man who did this to you?”

“I don't know,” she admitted, trembling. She looked down at her hands, knowing she really didn't want Orion to hear this. She didn't know how to ask them to take him out of the room, and she knew even that would hurt him. He didn't deserve that, but if she said any of this, he'd blame himself.

“Did someone hurt you because of me?” Orion asked, his voice quiet, troubled. “You... You told them not to do anything to me. That you... you'd do what they wanted...”

_“I'm sure you understand,” Headmaster Taniguchi began, circling behind her chair in a way that made her nervous, bringing back memories of her own school days with renewed horror. “Orion is a very gifted young boy, and I'd hate to see anything happen to his progress.”_

_She grimaced. “I realize I missed the conference with his teacher, and I forgot to sign the permission form for the trip, but I have everything here he needs. I'm just a little late with it—I went all the way to work before I remembered that I was dropping it off today. And I am on break, so I do need to get back there as soon as possible. Can we make an exception just this once to allow him to go on the trip? Then next time, I'll have the paperwork ready in advance. I swear. It's just this time of year, with the events, the cafe's extra busy, and I forgot.”_

_“This is hardly the first time you've forgotten something your brother needs,” Taniguchi said, still standing behind her. “We cannot keep bending the rules for you. Perhaps this is a sign that you are not meant to take care of your brother.”_

_She clenched her fists, angry. Why did everyone always assume that? She could take care of Orion just fine most of the time. She worked hard. He always had food to eat. He had clothes that fit. He did his homework, and he got good grades. “Mr. Taniguchi—”_

_“I would hate to have to report that Orion couldn't remain in the home of such a poor caregiver.”_

_She frowned. “No. Orion... you can't.”_

_She knew that if she got really angry like she wanted to, she'd make more trouble for them, but it was hard to keep her temper and not yell every mean thing she could think of to him. She wasn't a bad guardian. She made mistakes. She was human. Everyone was. She knew that Orion's friends' parents had done the same. So had hers when she was in school._

_“It is my responsibility to take care of my students, so I must report when I see someone failing to give proper care—”_

_“No, don't.” This was a one time thing. It wasn't going to happen like that, and while she read that it was actually rare for kids to be taken from their homes, that was still her greatest fear. “I'll do what you want. Just... leave Orion alone.”_

_They could punish her. It was her mistake. Even if they didn't let him go today, it was fine as long as they didn't try and take him away from her._

_“Of course,” Taniguchi leaned close to her ear. “I could be willing to forget about all of these mistakes, these missed deadlines, and your complete lack of responsibility... that is, if you mean what you just said.”_

_She turned around, frowning at him just before he grabbed her hair and held her as he kissed her. She shoved at him, getting a good kick at his shin that made him let her go. He glared at her._

_“Well, it would seem you didn't mean it at all. That's a pity. Not only will Orion not get to go on the trip today, but that report will go to the authorities as well as that joke of a cafe you work at.”_

_She glanced at the file on the desk, shaking her head in disbelief. There was no way that was all about her. He was lying. He had to be. And he couldn't just give that to her work. No one would read it or believe it._

_Would they?_

_“It takes a lot of evidence to get this sort of situation dealt with, and so I just had to gather enough about Orion, starting back from when you first brought him here,” Taniguchi went on. “I have statements from his teachers about your poor conduct as well as pictures from the accident caused by your outright negligence. I have everything I need.”_

_That accident... That wasn't her fault. Orion and the other boys had been playing in the street and he got hit by a car. She never would have let him do it if she'd been home, but she'd been at work and trusted a neighbor to watch him. Never again, but... the police had told her she could lose him then. It wasn't just the headmaster._

_“No, don't. You don't have to do this.”_

_“I won't... if you give me what I want. I'll even let you think about it. You have until tonight to decide. If you come here after work... we can forget all about that file.”_

She shuddered again, trying to wrap the blanket around her in shame. She didn't want to believe she'd gone through with it, that she'd let him do what he wanted, but she didn't know. Had she stood up to him? Or did she give into his demands thinking it was the only way to save her brother?

“What do you mean, you don't know?”

“Shin, she doesn't remember. And if this wasn't a memory of someone actively stabbing her in the leg, she wouldn't know if it was the same person.”

“It is terrible that someone tried to hurt you more than once,” the photographer said, a sad look on his face as he spoke. “I can't imagine someone wanting to do that to you. You have such a beautiful smile. No one should harm that.”

She grimaced, not in the mood to be flirted with or flattered after that disgusting conversation with Taniguchi.

“The headmaster at Orion's former school,” Kent said, and she turned to him in shock.

“I told you about that?” How could she have? She'd been humiliated and scared, and would she have told a man she fought with and didn't like something so private and horrible?

He adjusted his glasses. “You did not disclose the particulars of the incident to me, no. You... were visibly stressed, flustered enough to make foolish mistakes, and I was, strangely, more tolerant of getting food I did not order than the other customers.”

_“This is quite obviously not a sandwich. Are you suggesting I need to vary my diet after our last conversation?” Kent asked, and she looked down at the plate in horror. Had she really ordered that for him? Kent, who almost always ordered the same thing because it was efficient?_

_She checked her notepad. “I'm sorry. I... I mixed up the orders.”_

_“Did I get someone else's food?”_

_She shook her head. “No, I just... I wrote down the wrong thing.”_

_“That is unlike you. Are you that worried about your brother's school trip? I thought you were pleased he was able to go.”_

_She wanted to cry right now, thinking of that man's threat. She looked at Kent. “Can a headmaster really take false evidence to the welfare system and get a child taken away from his guardian? It... It would take a lot, wouldn't it? And if it could be proved it was false—how long would that take? Can you arrest someone for making a false report? Or threatening to?”_

_Kent sat back in his chair, frowning. “If someone has made such a threat against you—that seems impossible given the level of devotion to your brother I as a stranger have observed in you. How could someone who has observed you with him for years not be aware of the same thing? Or... he seeks to use it. What has he demanded of you? Not money, it's obvious you don't have much, but—”_

_“Nothing happened," she said, refusing to admit to what Taniguchi wanted. "There's no threat. I... I was afraid they wouldn't let him go because I was late with the paperwork. That's all. It took too long to get there because I'd already walked here first and the school's in the other direction. I'm just being paranoid.”_

_Kent's look suggested he didn't believe her at all. “If you insist, but you shouldn't allow him to threaten you at all. If you're not interested in formal charges, I'd suggest changing your brother's school. There is one I thought I'd recommend to you. Currently you live outside its assigned territory, but that could change as I've also been made aware of an opening in a building much closer to this cafe as well as within that school's boundary lines.”_

_“What?”_

_“I do know of the open apartment for an unfortunate reason, as it was the former home of a criminal—a murderer—but he didn't kill anyone in the apartment, and forensics proved that, so you wouldn't have to worry about it, but they will lower the rent anyway, and the school has an after hours program that is free—it's run by volunteers among the parents—where the children learn a variety of subjects. I have all the information for you. Here.”_

_She stared at the folder he pushed across the table. Why would Kent do that? All they did was argue, and she couldn't accept this. “I don't need you to tell me how to take care of my brother, either. I can manage just fine on my own.”_

_She almost ran back into the kitchen, pushing past the swinging door and into the locker room, refusing to let herself cry. She was better than this. Taniguchi would not win, and she didn't need Kent or anyone else to fix her problems or tell her what to do with Orion._

_She gathered her wits and went back out to the dining room when she was sure Kent was gone._

_It didn't help any._

_She'd gotten more orders wrong, and the customer had said she was too stupid to work but at least she looked cute, and that brought back everything Taniguchi said. Then Sawa came up to her, slipping her the tip from her table—Kent had not only left more than his usual twenty percent tip, but the folder as well—and she barely made it to the kitchen before she broke down into tears._

* * *

“Neesan?” Orion asked, reaching out to touch her. She'd started staring off into space, and it kind of scared him. He didn't like that look. Neesan rarely got like that, but the few times he'd seen it, bad stuff was always going on, and it had been there a lot before she disappeared. Almost every night, he'd catch her doing that, though if he was honest about it, she'd been sad for a lot longer. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, tugging on the blanket. “I was just... I remembered that conversation with Kent. I messed up his order, and we argued... and he left when I was in the back room.”

“I think you're going to need to spend more time around her, Kent. You seem to be pushing memories back right and left,” Toma said, smiling. “First when you were at the hospital, and then downstairs, and just now. That's a good thing. She can use all the memories she can get.”

“I highly doubt she wants any more that deal with me, as I am certain they are quite unpleasant for her,” Kent said, his arms folded over his chest. “I told you—our interactions were... volatile and even hostile. There is no reason to push her to restore that many unwanted memories.”

Neesan frowned. “Kent—”

“Though in this case, I do believe it gives you another suspect to look into,” Kent said, completely talking over what Neesan might have said. “This headmaster. He should be questioned again.”

“Did you do something to him?” Orion asked, staring at him. That made Kent seem like a real detective, which he hadn't been so much before now, just a very weird man who liked math. “Really? You arrested him for hurting Neesan? Did you?”

“As she did not make a full complaint to me, there was very little I could do in an official capacity,” Kent said. Orion's shoulders slumped. He looked back at his sister. Had she really been hurt by that headmaster? He hadn't liked the man much, but he was kind of a jerk to everyone, lording it over the kids because he was the adult in charge. Orion just tried not to get in trouble. That was for the best no matter what.

“And in an unofficial capacity, Ken?”

Kent frowned. “Ikkyu, I in no way said that I had any further—”

“It's not like any of us to have stepped back and done nothing in a situation like that,” Ukyo said. “I think even I could have been provoked to violence if this threat were something truly terrible. The same goes for Toma, Shin, and Ikki.”

“Very true,” Ikki agreed. “For such an offense against a hardworking, kind lady? I don't know what I'd do, to be honest. Still, we're talking about you, Ken.”

“He might not get emotional, but all he'd have to do is walk in the door,” Toma said. “How many times has that worked on the little fishes we're hoping to flip?”

“Almost every time,” Shin said with a slight smile. “Even if he's probably the least dangerous one on the task force.”

“Excuse me?”

Orion looked at Neesan and saw she was actually smiling again, trying not to laugh. Poor Kent. He looked so offended right now. “Um... so did you? Just walk into the room and scare him?”

Kent sighed. “It... was a bit more than that.”

Ikki shook his head, though he was smiling as he did. “You're only making it worse by trying to avoid talking about it.”

“Fine. As my parents were alive at the time, I used the combined threat of my father's status as a researcher and my mother's position as a prosecutor to suggest that even if I couldn't arrest the man, I could make sure he never worked in education again, not even as a custodian.”

Orion stared at him. That was awesome—and yet—was that threat even real? “You're kidding.”

“He's really not,” Ikki said. “Not only does Ken rarely make jokes, it happened before. His parents made sure of that with one of his tutors. Oh, we should look into that guy, too. Talk about someone with a grudge.”

Kent tensed. “If you insist, though I hardly think it matters now. A man who threatened Kokoa who in turn was threatened by me... has a bit more weight and credibility as a suspect.”

“Now, wait,” Neesan said. “I admit that Headmaster Taniguchi was... creepy, but to kidnap me and... torture me... and leave me in a burning building to die?”

“It would almost fit with what Orion described of your behavior prior to the incident,” Kent went on. “The odd routes home, the shopping trips without purchases very likely made to allow you the chance to show if anyone was pursuing you and in turn elude them, the added fatigue... You may well have been dealing with a stalker.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning gets off to a rocky start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this one was a bit of an emotional yo-yo. I made myself laugh and I made myself cry.
> 
> I'm saying that as... um... fair warning... I guess. I may well be overreacting.

* * *

Orion took his sister's hand, a worried frown on his face. Ukyo felt sorry for the boy, knowing that so much was being kept from him even as much as he knew enough to be afraid already. This case was one of the worst they'd worked yet, and no child should be involved in it at all. They all said too much around him, and yet for them to tell him nothing must be just as frightening. 

“A stalker?” Orion asked, sharing a worried look with his sister. She shivered, confused and probably more scared than he was. Ukyo wished he knew words that would comfort either of them, but he could not think of any. “What exactly does that mean?”

“Kent,” Toma said, shaking his head. “You really need to learn some tact.”

“All of us had the same thought when the kid mentioned her weird behavior the first time,” Shin said, shaking his head. “Sure, it could have been something else, but it's almost guaranteed she was abducted and taken to that warehouse. We all know that. None of us is kidding ourselves there. And if this guy planned to take her—which we all figure he did—he probably did watch her first. He'd want to learn her patterns so he could grab her without anyone knowing.”

“Really?” Orion asked, wrapping his arms around his sister. “Oh, Neesan. You... if you knew about it, you must have been so scared. And you didn't say anything. You're so strong and brave... but I wish you'd told me. I want to help... and I can't.”

She kissed the top of his head, closing her eyes and leaning against him. “I think all that mattered to me was that you were safe. I didn't want you worried. And I don't know... maybe I thought it was just my imagination? Or... if it was a rude customer, I know I've had them before. I might have thought they'd just give up. I don't know.”

“You certainly were stubborn enough to wish to handle any and every problem yourself, at least when I knew you,” Kent said. “Though in such a circumstance, I would have hoped you would swallow some of that pride and seek proper help, even if the stalking laws here are... very ineffective.”

“You did have Kent's information,” Ukyo said, frowning. “It was old, but... did you never think of using it?”

“That assumes the card wasn't put on her,” Shin said. “Kent, are you sure you gave her a card? You weren't very clear on that earlier.”

“I believe I did, though I had no expectation of her keeping it.”

“What, because you argued all the time?” Orion asked, still frowning. “Neesan wouldn't have thrown away something that important even if she didn't like you. What if she needed a policeman? She'd call you. I'm sure of it.”

“What makes you so certain?” Kent asked, seemingly bothered by Orion's statement. “I think that she would have preferred anyone over me. She... was quite displeased with me the last time we spoke, and even if she had held onto it, the information was old and useless. There was no point in keeping it, though she would not have known that at the time. We... That is, I'd been forced to abandon my routine and change my phone number due to the harassment I'd been getting. It should not have mattered to her to keep the card, nor would she have used it.”

Toma frowned. “You really think she was that angry that if she was being threatened, she wouldn't try and get your help with it?”

Kent looked away. “You seem to assume this relationship was... friendly. It was... not. Remember what you yourself earlier said. If I had spoken to you the way I spoke to her, you'd have reacted violently. Why would you think she wouldn't rip up my card and hope never to see me again?”

“I... I wish I could remember whether or not I... I don't want to think I was stupid about it,” Kokoa said, biting her lip. “I... I just don't know. I've remembered some, but not enough. I don't remember anything of what happened in the warehouse or the days before that... I know... things that don't seem to matter.”

“All of our memories are important,” Ukyo disagreed, having come to the point where almost all he had were memories, his family and home long gone. “Even if some are not pleasant, we hold onto the ones we have. I prefer to keep the good ones, to treasure the beauty, but even if I'm photographing a horrible crime, I know that what I am doing matters. It is still someone's life, the smallest fleeting moment, and while I like the ones where people are smiling best of all, the ones where they're sad or hurting are no less them than anything else.”

She nodded. “I know, but...I don't remember this person who hurt me or why. I feel... helpless, and I don't like that feeling at all.”

“You're not alone,” Orion said. He gave her a smile. “You've still got me, and everyone here has been very helpful, too. And I know if Sawa and Mine knew about what happened, they'd want to help, so... we just need to be patient. You've already gotten back a lot of your memories, right? Kent helped you with those.”

Kent shook his head. “I do not think I have, nor should it be assumed that the rate of her remembrances would continue to be as fast as they have been. I did not know her for long, and we have not interacted in two years. It is only due to the... unpleasant nature of those interactions that I stuck in her memory at all. Now if you will excuse me, I have to sweep my kitchen.”

“Wait, Kent, two years?” Toma asked, and Shin managed to block the door before Kent could leave. “You haven't seen her in two years. You're absolutely sure of that?”

“With in a margin of a few days, yes,” Kent said with a frown. “Why does that surprise any of you? I have barely interacted with you, and we worked together. Had you not come by the hospital during my recovery, the same amount of time would hold true for any of you. Aside from Ikkyu, I suppose, who does show up at my door rather frequently when he's had too much to drink.”

“Oh, please,” Ikki said. “Like that's the only reason I come and see you. It's not even for your cooking. You're my friend, Ken. You have been since the day you told off my parents the first time.”

“Had you not been so inebriated at the time, I do not think it would have made such an impression on you,” Kent said. “And that actually was why I spoke to them—your lesson was pointless with you in that state, but you were that way more and more as your dissatisfaction with acting increased. It was a waste of my time and their money to be present.”

“My money,” Ikki corrected with some bitterness. “I was the one working, not them. And you were worth it. That first math puzzle you gave me changed my whole outlook on life. Not only did I want to solve it to take you down a peg or two, it ended up being really fun.”

Kent sighed. “Ikkyu, if you continue to resort to unearned flattery, people will start those rumors about us again.”

Ikki shook his head. “You would think a police station would have better things to do than gossip. So what if it was never official like Toma's dad and Shin's mom? I consider you like family. That's all there is to it.”

“Very well,” Kent said, apparently having chosen not to argue with Ikki. “Still, I did intend to clean up the mess I made downstairs—”

“The kitchen's fine,” Shin said. “We need to talk about this two year thing. It might change everything.”

“Oh. You believe that it may well be a mistake to assume that the main target was me?” Kent asked, putting a hand to his chin as he considered the idea. His shirt sleeve fell down, exposing his scars again. “It does seem somewhat unlikely that someone targeting me would know of our interaction in the past. It was not some... well published thing. I am not Ikkyu, and most people do not have any interest in my life. It may actually be more likely that, having already selected her as a victim, this man discovered the same card and connection we did and in his deranged mind decided that he could gain more by tormenting me as well.”

Ukyo looked over at Kokoa and her brother. Both of them were terrified, and rightly so. “Kent, I think there must be—”

“In some ways that is the more preferable option since I would not wish her to be suffering because of a fleeting connection to me,” Kent said, “though it is of little comfort as well. Statistically speaking, of course, women are more likely to be the victim of a serial killer—”

“I think you can go sweep that floor now,” Toma said, eying the witnesses with concern. “Really, Kent. It would probably be better if you did.”

“You said it was—Oh. I see. I was being insensitive again,” Kent said, a bit of red coming into his face. “Um, forgive me. I... I tend to think aloud, and... we also seem to have a problem with theorizing where we should not.”

She swallowed. “I... As much as this scares me, I... I think I would rather know than not. There's so much I don't know, that I don't remember, and even though I keep trying, I can't. That's scary enough without adding more I don't know and don't understand. If... if it's not against the rules of your job... please keep telling me. I'd rather spare Orion as much as possible—”

“That's not fair! We're a team, remember? You and me. Just us and no one else and we... we'd get through anything together,” Orion said. “We promised.”

She gave him a sad smile and touched his cheek. “We will.”

“And you are safe here,” Ukyo said, needing to say something to reassure them. “Kent's house is built like a fortress. We even call it that, and not entirely as a joke. It is a very safe place, always has been, for all of us.”

Kent grimaced. “I would add to that, but I fear it will not be as reassuring as Ukyo's words.”

“What do you mean?”

He winced. “That there was an unsuccessful attempt to enter this building the day before the bombing at my parents' home. It is our theory they intended to kill me here and were unable to do so. And I should not have mentioned it at all.”

Orion sighed. “Well, at least we'd be safe as long as we didn't go outside.”

“Yes, that is the conclusion I reached as well,” Kent said. “You should be safe enough here, and tomorrow—well, later today—we may know much more about the situation. We have several people to talk to and eliminate as suspects as well as just ones that should be spoken to for information, and that is only the beginning. Some forensics may already have been tested, the arson investigators may have something and then—”

He broke off and stumbled into Shin, who caught him with a grunt. “Damn it, Kent.”

Kent pulled himself up again. “I... I just got light-headed. I'm fine. It's not... not another one like before. My blood sugar must be low.”

“When was the last time you ate?” Ikki asked. “Yesterday? Or are we talking more like forty-eight hours? More?”

“With all that food in your refrigerator?” Toma demanded. “What the hell, Kent?”

“I cook for relaxation and therapy,” Kent said. “That doesn't mean I have an appetite.”

“Whatever,” Shin said. “We're getting some food in you, and then you're going to bed. No more arguments. Same with you, kid. You get some sleep. We've got a lot to do in the morning.”

* * *

“Oh, that smells like the good stuff,” Toma said as he walked into the kitchen, and sure enough, the coffee pot puffed out a bit of steam as it finished brewing. He went right to the cupboard above the sink and pulled out a mug, placing it on the counter. “I hope you have enough for more than one pot.”

Kent nodded silently, not looking much better than yesterday. Toma doubted he'd gotten any sleep, and while he figured if Kent was asked, he'd admit to that, too, it wasn't worth pushing. They'd all gone to their separate rooms after an awkward midnight snack, which was all that they could expect from a bunch of grown men—they were old enough to do whatever they pleased, and if Kent had stayed up when Toma fell asleep in front of the computer screen, that was his choice.

Mostly, anyway.

Toma wouldn't be surprised if Kent's insomnia was worse because of his post traumatic stress. They should be expecting another book soon or something.

“I don't suppose you have any melon soda on hand?” Shin asked, going straight for the refrigerator. He took out a can and opened it, taking a sip. He frowned and checked the date on the can. “Oh. It really has been a while.”

“You're the only one who drinks that stuff,” Kent reminded him. “It has sat around for a while.”

“Ukyo drinks it, too,” Shin said, grimacing again. “Ugh. I almost want coffee over this.”

Kent shrugged. “There is also tea and a variety of other beverages. I have several different brands of bottled water, for instance. I decided to revisit that study I did in graduate school on the level of sodium and—”

“Pass.”

“You're going to have to get more soda for those two while the witnesses are here,” Toma said. “We'll be in and out of this place until this is over.”

He didn't mind that. Kent's house had doubled as their headquarters more than once on a case, and it was actually easier for them to crash in the same place, getting a few hours rest after talking over a theory and deciding on their next steps. This felt like working like a team again.

“Think we'll see Ukyo or Ikki first?”

Shin frowned. “Well, Ukyo sleeps like the dead, but Ikki can be worse, so it's a toss up, really. And I'm not going to bet against you, Toma. That's just stupid.”

“It is somewhat encouraging to see you two are slightly less competitive than you used to be,” Kent said, taking a sip from his coffee cup and closing his eyes.

“You should try going back to sleep after we all leave,” Shin told him. “And don't argue. It's obvious you didn't sleep at all. Should have made you take those pills.”

“Hmm. And then you would have been greeted by the sounds of someone retching versus the appealing aroma of coffee,” Kent said. “Those tranquilizers do not sit well in my stomach, but they are the only ones effective enough when I am in a full-fledged panic or a fugue state, so they are my only recourse. And despite what Ikkyu tells you, I am not on a dose that would put out a horse.”

“No, just two of them,” Ikki said as he came into the room, giving an exaggerated yawn as he walked toward the coffee pot. “I checked.”

Kent glared at him like he wanted to say something but didn't, returning his attention to the coffee in front of him. Shin choked on his melon soda.

“Ikki. Clothes.”

Ikki looked down at his open shirt and boxers and back at Shin. “Do you find my body intimidating? I knew it. You really do feel as though your looks are inferior to the rest of us. I don't know what you'd do if Ukyo came in looking like this. Have a panic attack? Cry? Any idea, Toma?”

Toma shook his head. He didn't want any part of this conversation.

“I think Shin's implication is that you are a bit too much at home here, Ikkyu.”

“No, if I was at home, I'd be naked,” Ikki said, grinning wickedly as he started in on his coffee. He made a sound not unlike a purr of contentment.

Shin shook his head, muttering under his breath. Toma just shrugged, knowing his brother had never made any real effort to make himself feel more comfortable here, not that he would. Shin still preferred to keep everyone at a distance, even after all this time. He'd never gotten over that thing with his father, and he probably never would.

Especially not with idiots at the precinct bringing it up any time Shin got mad or yelled at a suspect.

“I hope there is still some coffee left for me,” Ukyo said as he came into the room, long hair sticking out all over the place without his hat on his head. “Or is that the price to pay for being the last to rise again?”

“Technically you are not, and more coffee can be made if necessary,” Kent said. He gestured to the fridge. “You are all welcome to anything you may wish to eat as well.”

“Got more of those egg sandwiches?” Toma asked, heading for the fridge. “They looked good. Or just the omelet. I think that would be fine, too. Oh, what's this? Is this—Kent, you have been holding out on us. I didn't know you knew how to make half of this stuff.”

“I think in some respects it is better not to tell you,” Kent said, sighing. “Ukyo, you intend to take the photographs to that artist friend of yours, yes?”

Ukyo nodded. “I would have emailed them, but I think the prints I developed will be of more use, so I'll go in person later. Digital is fine for many things, but Makato will want the enlargements anyway.”

“Very well. I'd suggest Toma speak to man who used to own this house as well as the two women from the cafe—”

“Oh, now, I was going to volunteer for that,” Ikki said, pouting a little. “Why don't I get the beautiful women? I don't want to get saddled with the ugly old pervert.”

“That is Shin's job,” Kent said, and Shin turned to look at him. “I think it best if you interview the former headmaster and my former tutor.”

“Oh? And why is that? I'm not good enough to interview the high powered businessman?”

Kent snorted. “If I sent Toma to interview either of the men I just suggested, I have a suspicion they'd never be seen again.”

Toma choked on his coffee. “What?”

“Uh...” Orion began, stopping in the doorway. “Did... we come in at a bad time? Or is that... Kent's really bad idea of a joke?”

Toma forced a smile. “Just Kent's really bad idea of a joke. Though, really, you shouldn't be on your feet. Why did you—you should have waited for one of us to bring you something or help you down.”

“I had Orion's help,” she said, leaning against her brother. Kent pulled a stool over closer to her, and then before she had another chance to protest, lifted her up and set her on it. She blushed, both embarrassed and furious. “I could have done that.”

“Those stools were problematic for me after I was released from the rehabilitation center, and I am a good deal taller than you. I imagine the pain would be... nearly unbearable for you,” Kent said, his eyes going to the bandage on her leg. “It might even have caused you to pull your stitches if you haven't already.”

She bowed her head, sheepish. “Oh.” 

“Thank you, Kent,” Orion said, beaming up at him. “That was nice of you.”

Kent flushed red. “Inappropriate and meant to forestall an argument, but think what you will.”

Orion looked at his sister. She folded her hands in her lap, and he shrugged. “Well, I appreciate it even if Neesan's being stubborn. I can tell she's hurting and doesn't want to say so. Oooh, Toma, is that more of Kent's eggs? Those were really good, right, Neesan?”

She nodded, grimacing a little. “Yes.”

“You need not compliment the food unnecessarily for my sake.”

She shook her head. “No, it was very tasty. I just... I am in a lot of pain right now. I didn't want to say it and have you rush me back to bed. I'd rather hurt a little than be stuck there, helpless.”

Kent nodded, returning to the coffee pot. “Understandable, if a very emotional reaction to your circumstances.”

“Lay off, Kent. It's not like you were all that rational even when your leg was broken.”

“It's fine, Toma. I know that's just Kent's way,” she said. Then she swallowed. “Um... would it be too much trouble to get some tea?”

“Absolutely not,” Toma answered. “What kind would you like? Kent's got just about every variety of that around here, too. Who wants to do the honors?”

“I will,” Ikki said, flashing her a smile. She stared at him, and Shin threw a towel at him.

“Seriously, go put on some clothes.”

“Grow up, Shin,” Ikki said. “If it really bothered her, she could say so, but I don't think she's bothered at all. Are you, princess?”

“Ugh,” Orion said. “I'll say it. Go put on clothes. And stop flirting with my sister.”

Ikki laughed. “I see someone takes his role as brother very seriously. Relax, Orion. Cute as your sister is, none of us would do anything to her that she didn't want. Besides, a little flirting usually raises a girl's spirits, and I think your sister could use that.”

“Ikkyu, enough,” Kent said, shaking his head. “Orion, do you have keys to your apartment?”

“I should,” Orion said, starting to pat down his pockets. “Um... I did. I know I had them when I left the house. I don't know where I would have dropped them. At the fire? And Neesan's missing her purse... Oh, no. We can't get in. Well, maybe if we talk to the landlord, but I don't know him.”

“I suspected as much,” Kent said. He turned to Ikki. “You're taking Orion shopping.”

“He's what?” Orion asked, shaking his head. “I'm not—”

“Ah, I see,” Ukyo said. “Kent, that's very thoughtful of you. Orion could use some clean clothes and a bath.”

“Wait, what? I'm not having a bath—”

“You were in a fire yesterday,” she reminded him. “You should bathe. I need to, too.”

Orion grimaced. “Fine, but I still don't see why I have to go shopping with Ikki.”

“I agree,” Ikki said. “I can be interviewing the witnesses if I'm going out of the house, and I'm not so sure about going anywhere.”

Kent folded his arms over his chest. “You are the only one besides Ukyo who has an income outside of his salary from the police department. He has an important task that can't be done by anyone else, which means you are taking Orion shopping.”

“Somehow, you using logic to justify that makes it feel that much worse,” Ikki told him. He shrugged. “Fine, shopping. But you owe me, Ken. You know what happens when I got to shopping malls. The crowds... the autographs...”

“I don't have to get new clothes. I'm fine.”

“You need something else to wear,” she said. “Your shirt is dirty and torn. Though Ikki, I will pay you back for anything you spend on Orion. I mean that.”

Ikki waved his hand dismissively. “Don't even think about it. I sued my parents for what they owed me years ago, and it's just been earning interest ever since. Well, until I decide to get really drunk and buy stuff off the internet.”

“What?”

Ikki shrugged, lifting his coffee cup to his lips. “Ask Ken if you don't believe me.”

Kent pinched his nose. “If you feel like displaying all the reasons why you having alcohol is a poor decision, please do so somewhere else. I have no desire to revisit any of them.”

“And none of the rest of us does, either,” Shin said, shaking his head. “I still can't believe you bought that inflatable Pikachu.”

Ikki grimaced. “I think the real problem was that I thought it was a good idea to put it in Waka's office. Never, ever again.”

“Oh, hell no,” Toma agreed. “I thought he was going to kill you.”

“I think he was actually amused on some level,” Ukyo said, “I even caught him smiling in one of the photos I took that day.”

Orion stared at them, eyes wide. “Is... any of this story real?”

“Most of it is,” another voice said from the hallway, and Toma heard at least one coffee cup shatter at their captain's sudden appearance.

* * *

“Morning, all,” Waka said, walking into the room. Ikki looked down to see he'd splattered himself with his coffee when the other man spoke, but at least he hadn't broken his cup like Ukyo. His money would have been on someone else, honestly, since Ukyo wasn't always easy to sneak up on, but this time he lost. Ken's hypervigilance gave him an advantage, to a point, as he hadn't reacted at all this time, probably aware long before anyone else that Waka was here. He, unlike half the people in the room, also knew that Waka could access to the building whenever he wanted.

“Sir,” the five of them said in unison, and then Ukyo went back to his frantic cleaning, trying to sop up the coffee with a rag. Waka eyed the mess, and Ikki thought he might have smiled some, but it was quick and faint, gone in an instant.

“I am pleased to hear you've resumed your responsibilities, Kent,” Waka said, folding his arms behind his back as he addressed Ken. Ken frowned, starting to shake his head in denial. “Or were you not assigning duty roles as you would have done in the past?”

Ken folded his arms over his chest. “I was, but that changes nothing. I still have a resignation form for you, and I have no intention of leaving this building today.”

The staring contest between the two of them was getting a little intense, Ikki thought, though sooner or later, Ken would relent. He had to, they all did when it came to Waka.

“Um,” Orion began, and Ikki knew he wasn't the only one relieved that the kid had broken the tension. “How did you get in past all Kent's security? I thought we were safe and no one could get in.”

“He's Waka. We just accept this of him and move on,” Toma said. “Right, Boss?”

Shin rolled his eyes. “Way to kiss up as usual. Do you even know how you sound right now, Toma?”

Waka smiled thinly. “If I thought that Toma's remarks were insincere, I'd deal with him myself.”

“Right,” Shin said, clearly uncomfortable, though no less so than Toma, who'd taken the words for the warning they were. “I need those addresses, Kent.”

“Me, too,” Toma said. “No time like the present to get started on those interviews.”

“And I will get dressed so we can take care of that shopping for you, Orion,” Ikki said, setting down his coffee, trying to gauge whether or not Waka wanted them to stay for a bit longer. It wasn't like him to show up without a good reason, so he wasn't going to hurry away in fear, but he didn't plan on lingering, either.

Orion watched them all, nervous. “Um... Wait. You're not going to buy Neesan clothes, too, are you? That's not okay. You can't flirt with her, and you are _not_ buying her clothes. I don't even know that I want you buying _me_ clothes.”

“Well, while your sister could probably use one of Ken's shirts as a dress—”

“Excuse me?” Ken demanded at the same time as Kokoa did, both of them offended and red.

“—there's really nothing here for someone your size,” Ikki finished in triumph, enjoying that far more than he should have. “We do need to get you a change of clothes. Unless you already thought of that, sir, in which case, I'm sure I can do one of the other interviews.”

“I did not bring any clothing with me,” Waka answered, though his tone suggested he would have rather done that than let Ikki go shopping now. “Only this.”

He held out folders to Toma and Shin. Shin took his, flipping it open. “Are you sure I even need to talk to him now? You've got information in here I doubt he knows about. Wait, did you get this from a government contact again?”

Waka only smiled in that way of his that was completely unsettling which was both an answer and a warning never to ask something like that again.

“Right. Um...” Shin shut the folder. “We hear from the arson team yet? Did they clear the site?”

Waka shook his head, his displeasure clear. “It's been deemed unsound, and they're taking measures to support it so that the rest of the bodies can be removed.”

“Rest of the bodies?” Orion asked, clinging to his sister. “People died there? No one said that.”

Waka eyed the two of them, a long assessment that made the boy shrink back for a moment. Then he shook his head, moving in front of his sister protectively. He still shook a little, but he seemed pretty brave for a kid his age. Ikki knew plenty of grown men terrified of Waka.

That included most of the people in this room.

“You believed it only a fire,” Waka said. It was not a question. He did that same thing Ken did sometimes, though Waka was less about thinking aloud as he was prompting someone else to speak.

“She may have been isolated on purpose,” Ken said, though Ikki figured Waka already suspected as much. Toma had already told him about the connection between Ken and Kokoa. “My business card was left on her person where it was found by the staff at the hospital.”

“I see,” Waka said, giving her another long glance. She fidgeted and then looked to Ken, almost like she was pleading with him for intervention. He eyed her in return, and Ikki knew this was going to get interesting.

“At this point, it is difficult to be certain if she was chosen because of a prior casual acquaintance or if that led to the killer leaving that card as message and setting the fire when I would be nearby to notice it,” Kent said, not looking at her. “Either theory has some merit and has not been disproven, though it is... troublesome. The connection is old. We had not met since... since the day my parents died. With the yakuza threat neutralized, it... is difficult to explain.”

Ikki stopped mid-sip, lowering his cup. He gripped it tightly as he spoke. “Wait, Ken, did you say _the day your parents died?_ That day? You saw her that day? Are you sure?”

“Whoa, Ikki, easy with the ceramic there. I think you'd better put it down and calm yourself a little,” Toma said, reaching for Ikki's cup. “This is not that big a deal, right?”

“No,” Ken's voice was shaky. “Ikkyu is... correct. I... The memories I have of the day they died are... incomplete. It... they said that happens with trauma, sometimes the entire day can go, though... I remember parts of it... very distinctly. The sound... No.”

He turned away, leaning over the sink and taking several deep breaths, heaving with each one. Ikki took a step closer to him. “I'm sorry. I just—if you'd gotten any part of earlier that day back, it could be important.”

Ken nodded. “I know. You still wish for an explanation for that strange text. I have none.”

Shin frowned. “Strange text?”

_Ikki heard his phone buzz and saw his date giving him the evil eye. He didn't understand what her problem was. The phone was on silent, and he hadn't even looked at it yet, despite the fact that he'd read text books more interesting than her. She'd seemed different when he asked her out, but once they were alone, it was clear she'd put on an act to get his attention and didn't care about any of the things they'd talked about before._

_Why did people bother doing this, anyway? If all she wanted was to sleep with him, that was fine, and sometimes he agreed to it because that was all he wanted, but she'd pretended she was interested in more, in the real him, and having that be a lie hurt. Again._

_He should just have gone to dinner at Ken's house. His mom would say something about how Ikki's genetics would find his match in time, just like Ken's would, and Ken's dad would offer to do some genetic testing if Ikki liked, and Ken would groan at both of them while secretly being pleased they weren't trying to do it to him._

_Yeah, Ikki'd been stupid to choose her over his family, crazy as they were._

_He dug the phone out of his pocket, about to tell Ken to call him with an emergency when he saw the text. What the hell?_

__If one's convictions change because of an emotional response that defies all logic, there is no reason to admit that the logic presented before was actually a lie, is there? __

 _Ikki frowned._ Have you been drinking? Or is this what passes for a philosophical question with your parents? 

There is a truth that has been told, and that is the truth I repeated. I don't believe it to be true. I have no logical reason not to believe it. All evidence supports it, and I am a logical person, so I should accept the truth brought by the evidence. I believed the emotional conviction before it was even voiced to me. Why would I do that? What does that even mean? Is it because of the source? If it is... Then I should distrust myself. __

_Confused as hell, Ikki started typing, but before he could finish his response, another one came from Ken._

It is futile. It's all over anyway.

_Ikki shook his head, rising from the table, leaving her there as he dialed Ken's number. Despite the fact that Ken had just texted him, he didn't answer the phone, and by the time Ikki was halfway across the restaurant, he found himself running until he was out the door._

“Ikki?”

He shook his head, trying to clear it. “It was just very unlike Ken, and I thought he was drunk at first, or maybe arguing with his parents... Then he said something about a truth that wasn't a truth—”

“A riddle?”

“I have no idea,” Ken hissed out in annoyance. “I don't remember sending it. My phone was destroyed in the bombing, but Ikkyu showed me the text and it... is very unlike me. It did seem like I must have written it while intoxicated, but my medical records show otherwise. We must not have had any wine with dinner that night.”

“You don't remember?”

Ken's whole body shook with frustration. “No, damn it. I don't. I remember my mother walked with me to the door, and I had started down the driveway when... a loud boom... getting knocked to the ground... And... she screamed... I think it was... my father's name... he'd gone in to clear the table... it... it was set in the kitchen... neither of them even cooked... but they blew up the stove and... And that's the part I remember. I only know what we had for dinner because it was ordered in and they have records. I don't remember what we talked about, the last words my father said... just hers....”

“Ken,” Ikki said, wincing, well aware Ken didn't want to tell everyone that. Ken looked up, a bit of clarity coming into his eyes, followed by horror and then resignation.

“I feel ill,” Ken said, eying the doorway. He shook his head once, turned back to the sink, and vomited. Ikki was not the only one flinching to hear that. He leaned over and started the faucet, letting the water wash it away.

Toma grimaced, grabbing a towel and passing it to Ikki. He held it out to Ken, but his friend wouldn't even look at him. 

“Can you please leave my kitchen now? I've had all the humiliation I can take.”

“You have to understand that their inclination to do as you ask wars with their need to see for themselves that you will be all right if left alone,” Waka said. He waited for Ken to give him a nod. “Very well. See to your individual tasks. I will inform you if there is anything you need to know.”

Ken faced him, still shaky but determined all the same. “Really? Then... Is it possible this is one of your enemies using your people to get to you?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theories are discussed, suspects visited, and maybe even bonds formed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had wanted to get through a lot more with this chapter, including finally getting Sawa and Mine into the mix, but that's been pushed back for plot reasons. I knew the investigation had to come first. And mostly, it did.

* * *

“Naturally, the answer you expect to such a question is that all of my enemies are dead,” Waka said with a smile. Orion shuddered, moving closer to his sister. He thought this guy was pretty scary. Not the laughing man at the fire who'd probably hurt Neesan scary, but still scary. Why did any of the others trust him? “Though that is not necessarily the most accurate one.”

Orion watched him, completely confused. Who was this guy again? “What?”

Waka studied Kent, and somehow Kent didn't back down from that, even though he was still trembling. He seemed kind of strong, to stand up to this other guy, especially after he'd just puked like that. “Your mind is still quite acute despite your current situation. It is true a similar thought occurred to me after learning that you were targeted a second time.”

“Wait, all of this is... your fault?” Orion asked, looking at Neesan. She'd been hurt because of this scary guy? Why?

“I never said that,” Kent said. “Even if this were a result of someone who wanted to get at Waka, that does not make him culpable for all of the other man's actions. There is still a matter of individual choice, regardless of what provocation might have been given or perceived. If this is a matter of revenge, this person could have attained that without killing others or involving innocents.”

“Other than the fact that Waka is damned hard to kill,” Toma said, and Waka looked at him. Toma didn't look away, though. “We did see that in action once. It's half the reason the office is terrified of you.”

Orion almost asked what the other reason was, but he was too scared to know. 

“I have not yet found any conclusive or even suggestive proof that this has any connection to my past,” Waka told Kent. “I have not completely discounted the possibility. I would not advise anyone else to do so, either. Still, our current focus should be the suspects and connections you've already made. Any of them is a viable option or source of information, unlike the idle speculation into a possible spectre from my past.”

Kent nodded. “That is why they were given the tasks they were.”

“You still pushed yourself to ask about it, though,” Neesan said, and the others looked at her. She flushed. “I just... you really don't want it to be that either of us is the cause of this, do you? It bothers me to believe that I could have been part of something that hurts you so much, even if I don't know how that could have happened—”

“It's not your fault,” Orion said. “Neesan, you know that even if... even if this guy was after you before that day and if he didn't pick you because you knew Kent—and it's weird if he did because that was all over two years ago, right? So... it doesn't make sense. It just... it's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. You wouldn't have.”

She wrapped her arms around him, holding on tight. “I want to believe that, too.”

“There is much we do not know,” Waka said. He clapped his hands together, and like something in a movie, they all moved at once, putting down drinks and food and hurrying from the room. Orion heard footsteps pounding on the stairs a second later. He looked over at Ikki, who hadn't rushed off like the others, still standing next to Kent. “Yes?”

“If your intention was to talk to Ken alone, I figured I'd offer to help our guest back to her room. As it is, though, the boy's mine for the day, so it would be irresponsible to leave without him.”

Kent snorted. “Your intervention is unnecessary, Ikkyu. I have already said what needs to be said.”

Orion thought that Waka was right and Ikki was worried about Kent. Maybe he should be. Kent seemed a bit better now, but that thing earlier... That had been hard to watch. Poor Kent. Orion had lost his parents, but he didn't remember them and he wasn't there. It didn't hurt like Kent hurt, having been there when they died and blaming himself for it.

Ikki shook his head. “You haven't, and there's a lot I'd call you on, but... not now.”

“I have no intention of causing Kent harm,” Waka said. “You should run your errand sooner rather than later. The longer you delay, the greater your chances of running into your fan club.”

Ikki grimaced, muttering under his breath. Kent smiled slightly, so whatever that was must have been kind of funny. Or bad. Knowing Ikki like Orion was starting to, he was sure it was bad.

Waka looked down at Orion. “That means you are leaving as well.”

“Oh.”

“It'll be fine,” Neesan told him with a reassuring smile. “You need a change of clothes—and a bath—and you'll feel better afterward. I think I want to lay down again—if that's okay. I... Maybe I could stay on the couch for now? I don't want to do the stairs again.”

“Very prudent,” Waka said, and then before anyone could react, he'd lifted her up out of the chair like she weighed nothing, carrying her out of the room.

* * *

“Don't say it,” Shin warned, wishing he'd put more distance between him and the house by now. He knew Toma wasn't that far behind him—they'd both been dressed and ready to go when they went down to the kitchen, and it wouldn't have taken him any longer to grab what he needed than it did Shin. Of course the jerk would catch up to him.

“What, that you're worried?” Toma asked, amused. Shin glared at him, but he just shrugged. “I already did, remember? And you can't lie. You are. Kent being as far out of it as he was last night, that bit this morning... That's scary as hell. He's always been the most... grounded of all of us. Too practical. Calm, logical, infuriatingly reasonable. And yet now we're seeing a Kent that can't stay still, who panics at the slightest thing, and might even have been about to do something crazy back there in that kitchen without even knowing what he was doing. For all he seemed almost fine this morning, that sure changed fast, too.”

Shin grunted. Even though Kent denied it last night, it wasn't like Shin had forgotten about it, seeing just where Kent had managed to cut himself with the broken plate. It wasn't that far from where someone would have cut with suicide in mind, and even if that one wasn't at the right angle or might have been shallow, not the sort of thing that was going to do real damage, Kent had been so far gone he wouldn't have treated it on his own. If the plate hadn't fallen onto the floor, who knew if they'd even have found Kent before he bled out?

Oh, sure, Toma had gotten hungry, but that still wasn't any guarantee of anything. They'd all been trying to get what they could from the boy—which meant feeding him and a lot of other coddling, at least as long as Toma and Ukyo were around.

Even now, they'd sent him off to get clothes before getting that composite made. Shin was surprised that Waka had allowed it.

“You can admit that sort of thing, you know. Caring about people isn't the weakness you think it is,” Toma said, and Shin felt like shoving him into the nearest building. “Come on. We both know that as much as you and Kent trade insults like pros, you actually like the guy.”

Shin started walking faster, wanting to leave Toma behind. He didn't need this, and he didn't care what Toma said. He just needed to find a couple jerks and interview them, make sure they weren't the killer they were looking for.

He supposed he was even more annoyed being as sure as he was that this was a waste of time. Not that they could ignore any of the possible suspects, but if Waka thought it was any of these people, he would have already gone there himself.

“You know you're only confirming what I know,” Toma said, jogging to catch up to him. “This bothers you.”

“Like Kent said, the answer should be obvious. He should know who it is. This? We're just doing busy work. That's all this is. If it were really any of these people, Kent would know. And if not him, Waka would.”

“Someone still has to check them off the list, and I doubt we want Waka doing that.”

“Kent didn't seem to think that you should, either,” Shin pointed out. He'd had similar thoughts before, and he still wasn't sure just how far Toma had gone when those yakuza disappeared. No one deserved to die like Kent's mother had, but if Toma had killed any of them, was he any better than the monsters he'd hunted?

“You think that, too?” Toma asked, his voice cold. “Just what do you think I did, Shin?”

Shin shook his head. “I don't want to know. I just want to find this guy before he sets up another house of horrors.”

“We all do,” Toma said. “Especially if Kent's latest theory is right and this guy isn't after him or Kokoa but Waka.”

Shin grimaced. Anyone who'd go after Waka had to be ten times more dangerous than a common criminal. Waka was no ordinary man. “You think it's about Waka?”

Toma shrugged. “I think we can all agree that Waka is kind of untouchable. His only weakness, if you can even call it that, is us. Kent keeps saying he doesn't know who's behind this. And maybe he doesn't. Maybe Waka does. He did stay back behind with Kent, and in the past, when he did that—”

“He had some logical reason he was going to use to keep Kent silent while the rest of us did the dirty work,” Shin muttered. Kent could put the bigger picture together faster than the rest of them most of the time, so it wasn't all that surprising that Waka would ask him to hold part of it back so that no one would rush in or do something stupid. “Which just means the same thing—Kent knows something he's not telling us.”

Toma nodded. “Might not be his fault. You heard him today—he's got gaps in his memory, and if it is about Waka, he wouldn't have details, just suspicions. And... there's even a chance this is more complicated than that.”

“Someone's manipulating Kent but not to get at him or Waka?”

“Maybe. I mean, this grudge could go back so far that Kent doesn't even remember it.”

“Like how I'm supposed to talk to the tutor he had as a kid?” Shin countered. It wasn't like they hadn't gone pretty far back with that. “Feels like we're grasping at straws when we should have a clear answer to all of this. Kent or that girl... they should just be able to tell us.”

“Are you blaming her for her amnesia? It's not like she chose that. I doubt she wanted to wake up not even recognizing her brother. And... we're lucky. I'm sure Kent could give us exact figures, but the amount of memory she's gotten back so quickly... that's not always the case. Some people spend their entire lives not remembering the things that came before.”

Shin grunted. “She'd better not fall into the category. That girl has to remember the rest of it.”

“You have a problem calling her Kokoa?”

Shin did, but he wasn't going to admit it. “Still can't believe that's her name.”

“Why not? We knew a Kokoa when we were growing up. Or is that the problem? You confusing her with our little sister who moved away so long ago?”

“Don't be stupid.”

* * *

Kent swallowed, rolling up his sleeves. He gave the bandage a glance, knowing he should not immerse it in water, but he disliked leaving simple tasks undone. He had a responsibility to maintain his home, and even small tasks were supposed to be considered victories when he was so incapable. This was something he could do against the long list of things he no longer managed, and yet... he hesitated. Last night's incident made him doubt himself further.

He hadn't intended to do any harm, but... he had no recollection of how he'd cut himself. He didn't remember the simple step he'd just taken—rolling up his sleeves.

“She is settled,” Waka said. “I imagine she will be asleep again shortly.”

“That is perhaps for the best. She must be in a lot of pain,” Kent said, his eyes on the scarred flesh of his arm. He had not forgotten how much the burns hurt long after they had been inflicted.

“You were quite bold earlier, to question me like that.”

Kent shook his head. “It was the only logical step to take after as much weakness as I had already shown.”

“Perhaps.”

Kent turned back to the dishes, stacking them in the sink. “If you felt me so in need of a babysitter, why did you send the others away? You have more important things to do than watch over me—even our witness is not valuable enough to merit this.”

“Is that truly what you feel?”

“I have no inflated sense of my own importance. Even if this killer has chosen to do this because of me, murder people I have never even met to make me suffer—or even if they're chosen for some small connection I am unaware of, as she may well have been simply because she used to serve me at a cafe—that does not make me special. I cannot even determine why I should have such a place of distinction in anyone's mind.”

“Prompting your theory that this is much greater or perhaps centered further from you than you knew. That is not impossible. Such work as we do often has consequences that are not readily apparent. Shin knows some of them, as the son of a man who killed by accident. Still others are affected in ways that are less obvious. It is not just the family of the victim or the criminal.”

Kent nodded. That was not untrue. “You believe someone at such a distance would go to this length? They have killed many for mere attention. The lack of logic... I cannot believe there is enough reason there. Every time I think about it, I come up against this wall. How could I have created such strong emotions in someone and yet be... completely unaware of it?”

“Emotions are not logical, and that is where your trouble lies,” Waka told him. “You search for a reason when there may well be no reason at all.”

Kent sighed. “Is that what I am missing? I cannot escape the feeling that there is something... Though perhaps it is merely that there is no true reason, only the depraved emotions of someone well past reason.”

“Is that what you now believe?”

“I do not know.” Kent started the water, letting it flow over the dishes, bubbling with the soap. “When I do apply logic to this, I come up with no satisfying answer. I do not remember anyone with so great an anger against me, not even the yakuza who ordered my death and the death of my family.”

Waka said nothing. The sink filled up, almost overflowing. Kent reached over to shut off the water. 

“I received harassment prior to the end of the trial, but most of those were verbal threats left on my phone to the point where it was unusable for normal communication,” Kent said, his own foolishness apparent to him with the clarity of hindsight. “And there were visits in person, but they amounted to nothing, especially when some of them ran in fear upon seeing me stand at my full height. It was more comical than intimidating. I know now this was hubris. He made threats in the courtroom, that is true. His angry words were recorded by many cameras, but I thought them nothing more than the posturing of a childish buffoon. I never once believed he would carry through with them. Not... not until the house exploded behind me.”

“You continue to blame yourself for that oversight, but you were not alone in making it. Not one of us believed you were truly in danger prior to that explosion.”

Kent shuddered.

“You should be angrier with me. I am the one everyone expects to see all and know all. Yet I did not see this coming. Not then. Not now.”

Kent didn't blame Waka. The choices that led to his family's death were still his. He had chosen to ignore the warnings, and he had testified with no small level of arrogance over his position and the irrefutable nature of the evidence. His father had cautioned him on it afterward, but he hadn't accepted that criticism, either. He'd ignored it, and now both his parents were dead.

“Whatever blindness was present then, it seems in place still,” Kent said instead. “I... My family is dead, so they can no longer be used against me, but if someone wanted to hurt a person close to me to make me suffer—or even to make you suffer—why did they not choose Ikkyu? He has said he considers me family. And he is also your subordinate. He is a much more likely target.”

“I agree.”

Kent turned back, frowning. “You are not actually using Ikkyu as bait now, are you? Without telling him? He is capable, and he can defend himself, but even so... why would you let the child go with him?”

* * *

Toma looked around the waiting room again, a bit glad Shin wasn't with him for this but also bored out of his mind sitting alone. The magazines in the office might have been interesting to Ikki or Kent, business or finance related as they were, but they held no appeal to Toma.

He had always been more interested in the law, though he was on a different side of it these days than his original plan. Part of that was Shin, since Toma would much rather be where he could protect his little brother whenever possible, and that he couldn't do stuck as a lawyer sorting out details after they happened.

He tried not to think about the other reasons for it these days. That just lead down a path full of pain, and none of them needed that.

“Ah, Detective. He can see you now,” the secretary said, bowing to him, and Toma gave her a quick smile as he rose.

He followed her back to the big office. The man behind the desk rose, holding out a hand for him to shake. 

“Welcome. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for very long.”

Toma shook his head. This guy was a bit nicer than he'd expected as businessman to cop went. He wasn't used to being welcomed in any official capacity. Even Waka didn't get that as a captain. “Not at all. Just long enough for me to remember why I didn't choose business as a major.”

Murakami laughed. “Well, it's not for everyone. What can I do for you, then?”

“I need to talk to you about a property you used to own and the man you lost it to,” Toma said. “You see, Kent—”

“You're here about Ken? Wonderful young man. I was just thinking of contacting him.”

Toma blinked. “What?”

“Oh, yes,” Murakami said, smiling fondly enough to make Toma wonder if Ikki had been lying about that entire story. If he had, and this was just a waste of his time, he was going to punch Ikki later. He hated when Ikki played them all for fools, though it was odd for Kent to go along with that sort of thing. “I recently lost my chief financial officer to retirement, and I was thinking someone as brilliant as that boy was would be an excellent replacement.”

Toma frowned. Somehow he didn't see Kent ever doing that, even if he liked math and kept saying he was done with police work. “Are you sure you're talking about the same Kent? I mean, the guy I know is a genius, but... I heard he publicly humiliated you and you lost a very expensive home to him.”

“No, that's the one.” Murakami's smile didn't seem to end. “He did me a great favor, and I am in his debt.”

Toma wanted to smack someone. Or something. This was a prank, right? An Ikki prank? Except... why would he do that with Kent's life on the line like this? 

“He did you... a favor? Taking that house off your hands in a bet that saw you embarrassed in front of millions—that video is still live on the internet—and it was a favor?”

“Yes.” Murakami went to the window, looking out at the city. “You see, I had no real way of knowing whether or not his math was correct when he gave it to us, but my accountant did. It was his reaction to the boy's figure that let me know that not only had he skimmed funds off that remodel, he'd been embezzling from me for years. If I hadn't lost that bet, I would still be losing money to that man, as I trusted him completely. I tried to compensate young Ken for uncovering the theft, even offered some to his friend Ikki, but they both refused. The house, then, became his reward, and as finder's fees go, it is cheap compared to what I was losing to that criminal.”

Toma studied Murakami for a long time, trying to decide if he believed him. If any of this was true, then this guy would never have targeted Kent, but he could be lying and this was all to cover up just how much he still hated him.

Damn it, he was going to have to talk to Ikki again to verify at least part of it, and Ikki would have to go over the man's financial records, too.

It was at least one name off their list, though. Maybe.

* * *

“This should be good,” Ikki said, nudging Orion toward a shop with the same kind of clothes as the kid now wore displayed prominently in the windows. He was glad to see it as one of the first they'd come to, since the sooner they were out of this place, the less likely it was he'd get mobbed by fans.

He liked attention every now and then, who wouldn't? Especially when it came from good looking admirers, but he still wanted to be able to do things without getting hounded for autographs or sexual favors. He knew he didn't want to get into that last bit around the kid, that was for sure.

“This place is too expensive,” Orion said as he looked at the sign above the sales rack. “You saw that, right? And that's the sale price. There's no way I can buy that kind of thing.”

“Good thing you're not buying it,” Ikki said, not caring one bit about the price. Money had little meaning for him, for all that he had become an accountant. He found it disgusting most of the time, but then he'd been poisoned against it through his parents' greed. They'd only ever seen the dollar signs, not their son's growing misery.

“No,” Orion protested, shaking his head. “Neesan said she'd pay you back, and she means it, but I know we can't afford this, so no.”

Ikki ruffled the kid's hair. “I already told both of you that no one is paying me back. I don't need the money.”

“Oh, wow, you're really Ikki, aren't you?” a woman squealed loudly, grabbing hold of his arm. “You are so gorgeous. I loved you in that movie—in all your movies—and that television show. I used to dream I was your girlfriend in that episode where you found that girl meant to be your true love—”

“That's very kind of you,” Ikki said, not wanting to hear more. “However, I am just here shopping, and I'd like to do so in peace.”

“Can I have your autograph? This is so amazing. I just want to—Oh, it would make my year if I could give you my number and—”

“You really think he looks like Ikki, don't you?” Orion asked, and she turned to him with a frown. He smiled at her. “See, he didn't believe me when I told him he would if he dressed up like Ikki, and he wouldn't do it and wouldn't do it, but then this mean bully ruined my shirt and he did just this once to cheer me up, and it was so cool that someone else thought he was Ikki—”

“What?” the woman asked, letting go of Ikki's arm. “You're not really Ikki?”

“No, he's my big brother and he doesn't normally cosplay, but I begged him, so... it's my fault. You can be mad at me.”

“I'm not mad. I'm just—excuse me, I have to go,” she said, running out of the store without looking back.

Ikki looked at the kid. “That was some smooth lying you just did. You could have a career as an actor yourself. Or maybe a writer, as that was a good story you just told.”

“Ugh, no,” Orion said, disgusted. “I just didn't like the way she was hanging on you, and you didn't like it, either, I could tell even when you were being polite. That's all.”

“Well, on the one hand I'm grateful and suitably impressed, but at the same time, you make me wonder just how many other lies you might have told,” Ikki said. Orion's eyes widened. “I told you—you're very good at it. Heartwarming, convincing... Hmm. I bet you use that against big sister all the time, don't you?”

“No,” Orion said. “I only lie to Neesan when I absolutely have to.”

“Then you admit you lie to her.”

Orion winced. “Okay, okay, but not like you think. I... I tried not to tell her about some of the stuff at my other school because I knew she'd just worry and there was nothing she could do about it. I'm in a much nicer one now, so it doesn't matter. It was just... well, back at that school there really was a bully, and Headmaster Taniguchi let him get away with a lot.”

Ikki nodded. He could see that. Both siblings seemed to want to protect the other from knowing about the bad. “Pick out some stuff and try it on so we know if it fits.”

“But—”

“I can tell her what an accomplished liar you are.”

“Fine. I'm going.” Orion grabbed two shirts and a pair of jeans off the closest rack and marched away with them.

Ikki smiled to himself, taking out his phone to text Shin. _When you talk to the headmaster, ask him if he was allowing other kids to bully Orion so he could get what he wanted from his sister._

* * *

_I don't need you to tell me how to do my job,_ Shin sent back before shoving his phone back in his pocket. He'd saved Taniguchi for last, figuring Kent's former tutor the less likely prospect, though if he'd known how long he'd have to wait to talk to this jerk, he would have done it the other way. The headmaster should at least be in his office by now.

And he could have used Ikki's suggestion as leverage to see the guy crumble.

“Sorry about that,” Kanjihara said as he came in the door, “it's been a crazy morning already. Now... my assistant says you're a detective? I'm not sure what the police would want with our little store here. All of the animals we sell here are local, nothing exotic, and they're raised in good private homes before coming here, no puppy mills or anything like that.”

Shin thought of the dog he'd seen on the way in and gave the man a long look for that. “You sure about that?”

“I have all the documentation you'd need, I promise,” Kanjihara said. “I promise. Unfortunately, they're animals. They can and do get sick. We do our best for each and every one of them until they have proper homes.”

Shin folded his arms over his chest. Sure they did. “I actually need to talk to you about your former career.”

“My what?”

“You were a tutor once? I'm sure you didn't forget the kid. Goes by Kent, as smart as he is annoying.”

Kanjihara stiffened. “Why would you want to discuss that now? Hasn't that family done enough damage to my reputation? Bad enough they made it so I couldn't continue my degree, but they're still trying to keep me down? Unbelievable.”

Shin had heard that Kent's parents made sure this guy didn't work in education, but he wasn't sure he believed this guy. No one in that family was that vindictive. It wasn't logical, and they'd never take something that far against logic.

“So you still blame him for what happened?”

“Of course I do,” Kanjihara said. “Some kids, they'll tell any lies for attention. That kid? He was starved for it with those parents. He was more like an experiment to them than a son, and they never liked that I pointed it out to them, but it wasn't until he made that ridiculous claim against me that they showed any real feeling toward him. Overcompensating? I think so.”

Shin didn't bother telling this guy that he knew Kent and that Kent didn't lie—mostly because he was really bad at it and completely unconvincing. Whatever Kent had told his parents about this guy had to be true.

“They said you weren't fit to be around kids, yet you work in a pet shop where a lot of your customers are children or led in by their children—”

“I never hit that kid, though he was obnoxious enough to make any sane person want to,” Kanjihara insisted. “I was never abusive. Never. I got frustrated a few times because he was a little know-it-all brat, but that's it. He didn't like the way I taught him, so he lied to his parents and got me fired. They overreacted and made sure I couldn't work in education. And yes, I'm still angry about that. They destroyed my life.”

“How did you feel when you heard about what happened to them?”

Kanjihara frowned. “What do you mean?”

Shin snorted. “You want to tell me you didn't hear about the bombing? These people ruin your life and make headline news, and you don't know about it? Please. You're lying.”

Kanjihara grunted. “Fine. If you have to know, I was glad. Couldn't have happened to a better family in my opinion.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sawa and Mine meet a few detectives, and some other awkward interactions happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is sometimes amazing how fast words add up... I keep meaning to have a lot more happen (but I get suckered in by banter, I love it too much not to give in to it every time) and suddenly the chapter is already long and not even halfway where I intended it to be. Oops.
> 
> It's got a lot of Sawa and Mine to make up for them not making an appearance before now, if that helps any.

* * *

“Oh, my god, like the cutest guy just sat down at my table,” Mine said, giving Sawa's arm a squeeze. “He's so gorgeous, but he barely even looked at me, just at his camera. I am so disappointed. Why am I not more interesting than a camera?”

Sawa sighed. She didn't have the heart to join in on admiring anyone today, even if she usually was right there with Mine when a hot guy came into the restaurant. She liked to look, but so far none of the guys she'd met had ever been worth a second glance. Well, they were still hot, but they couldn't be trusted. She hadn't met a guy yet who deserved the benefit of the doubt.

And maybe that was it. Maybe that was why. After all, with her name and her cute looks, that way she could get really bashful or really bold at times, Kokoa was almost always getting the guys' attention around here, even with Mine the wonder flirt around. Plenty of them preferred Mine, Sawa drove the ones she got away, but Kokoa didn't even seem to notice some of the ones that were interested in her.

Could one of them be the reason she wasn't here? Maybe it was a good thing, that she'd started taking time for something other than Orion, but most likely, she hadn't, not after the last time ended so badly.

“She's not here.”

Mine's eyes widened. “What, still? This is the third day. She'd never do that. Not when the manager threatened to fire her—which is just ridiculous because she's been here the longest—longer than either of us—and could probably run this place better than him—but she'd never risk losing her job like that.”

“I know,” Sawa agreed, worried. Kokoa always put Orion first, which was why she still worked here when she could be doing so much better. She had better grades than Sawa—especially when it came to math—and she could have probably finished college if she hadn't dropped out for Orion. Plus she'd stuck to this place because she didn't want to switch Orion's school, at least not in the beginning.

It was still kind of strange that she'd done it so suddenly two years ago, but Orion was super happy there at his new school, so Sawa figured it was for the best, same with the move Kokoa had made to that other apartment in a better neighborhood. Sawa had thought things were going better for her, mostly, until about a month ago.

“It's not like her.”

“I'm really worried now,” Mine said. “When Orion said she didn't come home, I just thought maybe she had a date or something she didn't want to tell him about—she's been really distracted lately, you know, like someone was on her mind. Someone other than her brother for a change.”

Sawa had noticed Kokoa was a bit out of it, and she wished she'd pushed about it. She'd tried, a couple times, but Kokoa just insisted she was fine and kept going. She did that whether she was sick or sad or just tired. That was how she was. She never quit, because it was for Orion, and she would keep going for him until her body completely gave out on her.

She was really lucky that one time she'd gotten that sick Kent had been around to carry her home when she collapsed. Sawa couldn't do it, and they hadn't known anyone else to ask. If it happened now, there wouldn't even be anyone, since Kent hadn't been around in years.

What if that was it? Kokoa had pushed herself too hard, gotten sick, and passed out somewhere on her way home or something? That would explain why she wasn't answering her phone—if she'd made it home, at least Orion would have answered it and told them what was going on. If he had a phone, maybe that would help, but Kokoa hadn't been able to fit that into her budget yet.

“I should have asked her. I should have made her stay. Something. Anything,” Sawa said. “I just thought it was because of the anniversary, you know? You remember what she was like last year, don't you?”

Mine nodded. “Yeah, she was really depressed. I felt so bad for her, but she wouldn't even talk about it.”

“She's so proud,” Sawa said. Kokoa was sweet and kind, but also very stubborn. “If she'd just let someone in for once...”

“Yeah.”

“Today after work, I want to go check on Orion,” Sawa said. There'd been no answer on the phone, but maybe going in person would be different. “If something happened to her, he's got to be worried sick. And scared. Those two are so close.”

Mine nodded. “I'll go with you.”

* * *

_“Neesan, I don't understand this,” Orion said, pushing his text book away in frustration. She bit back a yawn, going over to the table to see what he was working on. She hoped it wasn't math. She could do just about anything but math._

_Oh. Science. That was almost as bad. She read over the paragraph and frowned, wishing she was more awake than she was, but it had been a really long, bad day at work, and that guy she'd served today—he was something else._

_He probably knew the answer without even thinking about it, though. He claimed to be that smart, at least. She put a hand to her head. Why was she even thinking about him? He'd irritated her, but she was letting him win by giving him attention now. She had to stop this._

_“Oh. I see. It's talking about the life cycles of bugs. If this was the first generation, then that one is the... um... let's see here...”_

_Orion laughed when she started counting on her fingers, and she stuck her tongue out at him, but that just made him laugh harder. Soon she was laughing, too, forgetting all about how tired she was._

She felt something touch her, and she jumped, sitting up and crying out as she did. Her hand hit something soft and she looked over to see the back of the couch behind her. Oh. She was still at Kent's house, wasn't she?

She turned her head and stiffened, realizing what must have woken her. “Oh.”

“The blanket fell off,” Kent said, looking very uncomfortable. “I was just... I was going downstairs for a while, but if you happened to be awake, I felt I should inform you so that you did not feel you were completely alone. If you needed anything... Then I noticed the blanket and went to replace it. I did not mean to wake you.”

She nodded. She was sure he meant that. He seemed rather upset to have done it. “It's okay. I... I don't really want to sleep all day away, even if that was a nice memory for a change.”

“Yes, I suppose the others were unpleasant. They would have to be given the frequency with which they related to me,” he said, frowning. She had to frown, too. Even though they did fight a lot from what she remembered, not all of the ones with him were bad. Why would he think that? “Though you do not need to push yourself to stay awake. The pain... it is not necessary for you to suffer.”

“I'm not.” She did hurt, that much was true, but she wouldn't say she was suffering just because she was awake. She'd rather be doing something, and she found it frustrating that she couldn't. She looked at him. Was it like that for Kent when he'd been burned?

Kent shook his head. “Having experienced similar wounds myself, I cannot see why you would want to be awake with the amount of pain you must be feeling. There is no logical reason to subject yourself to that level of pain.”

She almost smiled at that. “So you slept the entire time you were injured?”

“I...” He flushed. “That is hardly the point.”

She wanted to laugh. “I think I should ask Ikki if he had to drug your food just to get you to take your medication.”

Kent sighed. “That is hardly necessary, and I would rather you not inquire into that at all.”

“He did, didn't he?” She couldn't help a bit of a giggle. “I knew it. You were always so busy even on your lunch break, answering texts and doing research and then when we'd argue, you'd always end up saying something about late it had gotten and how you should have been back hours ago.”

Kent shifted uncomfortably. “I fail to see why that's so amusing.”

She felt herself flush a bit, refusing to admit it was kind of... cute. “I just meant you were really dedicated and always working, so it's hard to believe you were willing to sleep all the time even when you were hurting.”

He looked away. “It was far from simple. As much as I might have wanted to do work, there was little available to me in the hospital, and it was also difficult to find a good position to sleep, making it impossible without sufficient medication to keep me unconscious. The level of medication required to keep the pain at tolerable levels rendered my mind near useless, and I found the situation untenable even before the psychological symptoms gained dominance over my existence.”

She nodded, not sure what else to do after what he'd said. It sounded terrible, and she didn't know how to react. Would he hate her if she pitied him? Probably.

“I think I'm like you.”

“What?”

“I would rather be doing something. I... I had a nice memory of doing homework with Orion. I barely understood it myself, but I was trying to help and we both started laughing when I had to count on my fingers,” she said, the nostalgia warming her heart again. Then she sighed. “It's not the answer anyone needs. I keep getting moments that don't even matter—not to anyone but me.”

“You should not take Shin's frustration as an indication of failure on your part. Shin can be quite methodical when it comes to a case, considering all angles and gathering evidence, but he is also impatient at times, wanting answers. And in this case... he feels as though the team is already behind, as that was not the first fire to be set by this killer, only the one that forced them to reinstate the task force. It is not your place to take blame for this, either, for even if you remembered anything it might not be enough to tell us who the killer is. There is truly no way to be certain.”

She did feel guilty, though. She hadn't given them anything useful.

“If you are hungry or thirsty, I can bring something in here for you,” Kent said. “After that, I do intend to go down to the lab. I have experiments I'm running, and they need some attention.”

“Is everyone else gone?”

He nodded. “Waka left a while ago, and no one has returned. I expect Ikkyu ran into some difficulty with his 'fans' while shopping for your brother. They can be quite troublesome—but not in a way I think would cause Orion any harm. I merely... I find their presence obnoxious and irritating. They frequently believe they have a claim on Ikkyu's time that they do not, and they will talk over us even in the middle of an important discussion related to a case. Some will go past barricades to see him and disturb crime scenes. That's all I meant. Orion should have nothing to fear from them.”

She hoped that was all it was. “Okay.”

“If you do not need anything, I should—”

“Wait,” she said, not knowing when she would get another chance at this, not sure when they'd be alone together again, and she had to say it. “I need to apologize.”

He frowned. “Apologize? For what? I am afraid I don't know why you would—”

“For what I said about you not having a heart,” she said, lowering her head in shame. “I... I did get back a bit of a memory, and you made me so mad in it with what you said about Orion and how I was taking care of him—you called me on my pride and I reacted to it. I couldn't admit to you that I'd taken your advice, so... I said terrible things instead.”

“I don't know what you're talking about. I am not certain if your memory is just not specific enough or if it is confused, but I do not think—”

“You were the one that recommended Orion's school with the after hours programs he loves so much and you were the one that told me about the opening in that building where we live now. I refused your help that day, and when we spoke again, I... I let you think I'd ignored your advice, that I didn't need it. No, it was more than that. I was cruel on purpose. I know I was.”

Kent forced himself to nod. “I see. I... I accept your apology. If you don't need anything, I will go downstairs now and leave you in peace.”

She sighed, knowing that hadn't gone how she'd hoped. She had only made things worse by admitting that she'd done it on purpose, said those mean things to hurt him and drive him away. He'd been so kind to think of her and Orion and to try and help, but she wouldn't let him. She had to do it all herself.

She closed her eyes, leaning back against the couch. Now what did she do? She didn't know that she wanted to be alone, but she couldn't be around him when all she did was make things worse. If she just knew what had happened to her, then maybe she could fix everything.

She knew it was no use thinking about it like that. She couldn't call memories back at will, and while she could probably call Kent back, what good would that do?

* * *

Sawa greeted the latest customer with a bow, trying to make her smile seem less forced. Kokoa still hadn't called, wasn't answering any texts, and everything went to voicemail. She couldn't even leave any messages—the service was full. She was starting to have a really bad feeling about this, and it was already late—she should have done something when Orion asked her about his sister, not waited until now.

And she still had hours before her shift ended and she could go to their apartment. She didn't know how much more of this she could stand, but she couldn't leave, either, not with her and Mine the only ones working today.

“Can I show you to a table?” she asked, remembering herself. She had a customer. She had to focus. “Would you prefer—”

“Here is good,” the man said gruffly, taking the chair across from Mine's photographer. The other man looked up and frowned, though he didn't object to the other man staying where he was. They seemed to know each other. “I'll take a melon soda.”

“Of course,” Sawa said, walking toward the kitchen to get the drink. She started filling a glass, looking for her coworker. “Mine, this one's for you.”

“Just a second.”

The door chimed, and Sawa sighed, shaking her head as she carried the drink back to the table. She gave it to the newcomer, who took it without a word and started drinking it down. She forced another smile and turned to greet the customer at the door again. It always felt so different when Kokoa wasn't working, but this time was worse, as worried as she was now.

“Can I show you to a table? Would you like—”

“Actually, I think I'll take this spot here,” the man said, pulling out the chair across from the other man, who glared at him. “Didn't think you'd be the one to beat me here, Shin. You had more interviews than I did to do.”

Shin, if that was his name, just grunted. “Turns out the headmaster left for the weekend without telling anyone where he was going. Have to track him down now.”

“Hmm,” the other man said, but he didn't finish whatever he was thinking. Sawa grimaced, curious and wanting to know more but it wasn't any of her business, and it didn't look like they were going to say anything with her standing here.

“Would you like anything to drink?”

“Oh, sorry,” the man in yellow said, giving her a warm smile. He seemed kind enough. “I'd like a coffee, and it looks like Ukyo's ready for a refill.”

The other man looked down at his cup. “Oh. So I am. I'd been so focused on my work I hadn't realized I finished it.”

“Two coffees,” Sawa said, giving Shin's melon soda a glance. He almost seemed ready for another one already. He nodded to her, and she smiled, heading back for a second round of drinks. Mine came out of the locker room, adjusting the bun in her hair again.

“Sorry. It keeps coming out today. I hate when it's like this. No matter how many pins I use, it just falls loose again,” Mine apologized. She stuck another pin into her hair and sighed when it fell loose again.

“These are for your table four,” Sawa said, and Mine frowned, glancing at the drinks and then at the table. The three of them were talking again, though they were too far away from the men here to know what was being said. The photographer and the one in yellow seemed to be in a good mood, but the other was scowling still.

“Now there are _three_ gorgeous guys sitting there,” Mine said. “And I can't even enjoy it.”

“Your hair is fine,” Sawa said, shaking her head. Mine looked pretty no matter what she did with her hair, whereas Sawa had always been seen more like one of the boys.

“It's not just that,” Mine said. “I can't stop thinking about Kokoa and why she's not answering our calls. I'm really worried. That's why my hair is acting up. This always happens when I'm stressed.”

“We're going over right after work,” Sawa reminded her. “We can't do anything until then, so take them their drinks already, unless you want to give me the table.”

“No,” Mine said, shaking her head quickly, making more of her hair fall out. She swore and started trying to fix it again. Sawa almost grabbed the tray herself, but the door bell rang again, and she sighed. She'd have to get that, too.

Mine grabbed her arm, all of her hair loose now. “Oh, my god. It's Ikki.”

Sawa rolled her eyes. “Aren't you a little old for that fan club by now? That show's been off the air since before we graduated. It's not even him. It can't be him. Just fix your hair and get your drinks to the table already.”

She went forward to greet the Ikki lookalike, who'd gone back to the door and was frowning out of it. He must have someone joining him. Not surprising. He looked like Ikki, who was still considered one of the most attractive bachelors in the country—he even sometimes made international lists—despite being out of the film industry for years now.

“Can I show you—Orion?” She pushed past the Ikki clone and grabbed hold of the boy. “Oh, thank goodness. We were both getting so worried. We thought something terrible must have happened to you or your big sister when she didn't come in today. You look all right, if a bit dirty. That's not like her to let you out of the house like this. What happened? Where have you been? Where is she? Is she with you? Have you seen—”

“Orion,” Mine cried, pulling him from Sawa's embrace and giving him one of her own. “Did Sawa tell you how worried we were? Where have you been? Where is your sister? What is on your face?”

“Ugh,” Orion said, ducking her attempt to wipe it off. He straightened his shirt and looked back at Ikki. “I told you they were loud.”

* * *

She opened her eyes again, already tired of trying to sleep. She couldn't do it. She didn't know if it was the pain or because she'd already slept for what felt like way too long already. She sighed, looking around the room. She might have to call for Kent, not wanting to be alone and not sure if she trusted her leg to let her walk to the bathroom—if she even knew where it was, which she didn't down on this floor and she was not sure about the stairs again, not without Orion to help her.

Only he was downstairs, wasn't he? Would he even hear her?

She supposed she had to try, didn't she? Well, first she'd try and stand and see if she could manage on her own. Then she'd start yelling if she had to.

She was about to stand up when she saw the picture on the table next to her. She frowned, picking it up and looking at it. She recognized everyone in it—all the men that had been around since she woke up in the hospital—Shin, Toma, Ikki, Kent, and Ukyo, even their boss, Waka. She thought it must have been some kind of awards ceremony because they were all dressed up, even Shin, and wearing medals around their necks.

Why was this almost familiar? Those other men didn't know her. Only Kent had met her before, but something about this...

_“Oh, my god, you will not believe what just walked in the door,” Mine said, almost squealing in her ear. “It is tall, dark, and wearing a suit. Oh, it is so unfair that he's so good looking. He's so awful as a person, but he looks beautiful.”_

_“Agreed,” Sawa said. “I never thought we'd see him out of that coat he seems to wear no matter what the weather is, but... we just did and it is something else.”_

_She shook her head. “You two. I know you say that looking at all the guys that come in is what makes this job bearable, but don't you ever talk about anything else?”_

_“Like you can talk, Miss Everything-I-Do-Is-For-My-Brother,” Mine grumbled. “And anyway, he's your tall, dark jerk in a suit.”_

_“What? I've got a full section of tables and—Kent. That's... Kent. That is...” She knew she was staring. She couldn't help it. Like Sawa said, they never saw him in anything but the coat, though she sometimes caught a glimpse of what his shirt might be so she knew that, at least, varied. This time, though, it was definitely a suit, no extra coat, and she thought it might even have been tailored for him since it fit really well._

_Sawa nudged her forward. “Go on. You can take one of my empty tables for him or switch me. Whatever you need.”_

_“You needn't make other arrangements,” Kent said to Sawa. “I am not here to dine. I only have a few minutes before I have to get back to the courthouse.”_

_“Courthouse?” she asked, wondering if that was why she hadn't seen him since that day she refused the file. She felt bad about that, but she didn't know how to tell him she'd actually gotten that apartment and that Orion was going to start at his new school next week. She didn't need Kent, and she wasn't going to tell him that she did. He didn't have to do that kind of thing for her or Orion. She would manage just fine._

_He nodded. “I had something to discuss with you. In private. Would you... step outside with me for a moment?”_

_She nodded, following him out, wondering if this was about that file. Or, worse, about Orion's former headmaster. She swallowed, checking to be sure the door was shut behind them. He walked around the corner, stopping out of sight of the windows. She almost laughed. He knew Sawa and Mine well. They would be watching, waiting for the latest fight. She didn't even want to fight with him, though she'd been almost hoping to avoid him rather than admit she'd needed his help with the apartment or the school._

_“I need to know when you want to discuss that favor you asked of me.”_

_Her stomach flipped, and she thought she might be sick. “Did you find something? Tell me. Don't just stand there and—”_

_“I am in the middle of an important trial that hopefully will conclude today, but they have called me back to refute my evidence more than once already,” he said, sounding frustrated. “I cannot stay long. I merely wished to discharge this debt to you and end things properly.”_

_“What?” End things? What did he mean, end things? They... didn't have anything to end, did they?_

_“Please let me know a time and a place convenient to you to discuss my findings on the matter in private. After that, we need not trouble each other again, as I am certain that is how you would prefer it. I only came to arrange a meeting. If you do not wish to tell me now—no, you do need to set it now. I haven't much time.”_

_She stared at him, confused. “I don't—”_

_“You usually have weekends off because your brother is not in school. Is this upcoming one like that? Would you agree to speaking tomorrow, then? I would rather not wait.”_

_She forced herself to nod. Better she did it before the move, anyway. They could start putting stuff in the new place on Sunday, so tomorrow was best. “Yes. Tomorrow. I'll be home. My brother is staying at friend's house tonight, so any time tomorrow is fine.”_

_Kent nodded. “Very well. I will endeavor to make it earlier rather than later. I have a dinner engagement of my own. Excuse me.”_

_She stood there after he walked away, staring at his back until she couldn't see him anymore, not sure what to think or how to feel._

* * *

“Wait a minute, you're with Ikki?” The woman with the pink hair asked, her eyes comically wide, and Ikki tried not to groan. He knew where this was headed, and he didn't want to go through another one. The kid's cosplay story worked the first time, but it was less convincing when the fans got together in groups, as happened after they left the store and were on their way to the cafe. “Orion, why are you with Ikki?”

“He's just one of those cosplayers, right? Not the real Ikki, as much as Mine would love that.”

Orion looked at him, like he was waiting for orders. Not a bad kid, if he was willing to say whatever Ikki wanted him to say here.

“No, Sawa, it's really bad,” Mine said. “I mean, I love Ikki and he's still gorgeous and it's hot guy overload because that table has three of them, but if Orion's with Ikki—Ikki's a cop now. Something really bad happened, didn't it?”

Sawa's eyes widened. “Orion, where's your sister?”

“She's safe,” Ikki said. “We were hoping you'd answer a few questions for us.”

“Hey, Ikki, what gives?” Toma asked, rising from his chair. “I was the one that got sent to question the coworkers, and I get here to find that Shin and Ukyo have already started, but then you swoop in and steal all the glory as usual.”

Ikki shook his head. “I stopped by with Orion to see if either of them had a key to their apartment since both hers and the boy's are missing. It wasn't meant to steal anyone's glory. That just happens when I'm around.”

“Oh, please,” Shin muttered. “Idiots.”

Ukyo snapped a picture of him, and Shin glared at him, but the other man just smiled. “It's nice to be working with the rest of you again. I had missed this more than I realized.”

“Whatever,” Shin said. “I never got my other melon soda.”

“Oh, right,” Mine said, rushing back to the kitchen. The other woman grimaced, shaking her head. Luckily for them, this place was almost dead right now and they had the place to themselves. Ikki nudged Orion toward the table where the others were sitting.

“Ukyo was here first,” Shin said, and Ikki frowned at him as he sat down.

“That is true,” Ukyo said. “I finished with Makato quickly enough. He said he'd get started on the reconstructions as soon as possible, but he'd rather have the skulls to work with—”

“Skulls?” Orion asked. “Who is this guy that he works with skulls?”

“He's the artist we always use when we're trying to get a face from someone who doesn't have one left,” Toma explained. “He's really good at recreating faces.”

“He's also creepy as hell,” Shin said, and Ukyo frowned at him. “What? He is. He's weird, and in this group, that's saying something.”

“He's definitely strange,” Toma agreed. Ikki just shrugged. He'd never personally dealt with Makato, and he didn't want to. Ukyo was the only one who could stand him. Ken managed to get himself banned from any further interactions with the guy, for which Ikki was sure Ken was very grateful, not that he'd admit it.

“Is anyone going to tell us what's going on with her?” Sawa asked, sitting down and pulling Orion close to her again. “She hasn't been to work in three days, and Orion said she was late coming home, but that was... three days ago.”

“We're not sure,” Toma said. “She doesn't remember, so we're piecing together what we can from other sources. Which is why we wanted to talk to the two of you. Orion tells us you're her friends as well as her coworkers.”

Sawa nodded. “Yes. I've know her since this guy was little.”

Orion dodged her attempt to tickle him. “Hey. I thought we agreed no more of that.”

“Oh, you're too cute when you pout,” Mine said, setting a melon soda down in front of Shin. She set a coffee cup in front of Toma and then Ikki, using an urn to refill Ukyo's mug. Then she put it back on the tray and put a cup overflowing with whipped cream in front of Orion.

“Thanks, Mine.” He dove into the cream with a smile, making it disappear in seconds.

Ikki heard Ukyo's camera go off again, and Orion groaned, his face covered in cream. He laughed. “You'll have to watch yourself. Ukyo's always doing that. All your embarrassing moments will end up on film around him.”

“I don't do it to embarrass anyone.”

Shin snorted. “Sure you don't. How many times have I threatened to break your camera when you do it, but you just keep on doing it? And worse, you send all of them to Toma, who thinks he can tease me with them.”

“I can,” Toma said, reaching to ruffle Shin's hair. “Big brother privilege.”

“Get over yourself. You're not my brother.”

“They're always like that,” Orion said to Sawa and Mine, who were watching the two of them like they couldn't turn away. “Really.”

Sawa frowned at him. “How did you end up with all of them? Did you go to the police after you spoke to us the other night?”

Orion shook his head. “No, I kept looking for Neesan. And I found her. Then they found me. Us. Well, they actually found—”

“Are you really sure that she's okay?” Mine asked. “It's not like her not to work, and if she's not here and not with Orion—”

“She is safe,” Ikki repeated. “Orion was with her up until this morning, but we had to buy him a change of clothes since their house keys were lost. Which if either of you did have a key to her place, I'd take it to go get some more things for them. Neither of them can go home until we decide otherwise.”

“What?” Orion said. “Wait, how long do we have to stay in that place? I'll miss school, and I know Neesan can't work right now, but we can't lose our apartment and—”

“You're seriously worried about school?” Shin asked, shaking his head. “Nerd.”

“Nothing wrong with being a nerd,” Ikki said, giving Orion a grin. “Don't worry. You shouldn't get too far behind, since it won't take us too long to pin this guy down, but even if it did, you've got access to the best tutor you could ask for.”

Orion nodded. “Okay.”

“So, ladies,” Ikki said. “About that key...?”

Mine shook her head. “Not me.”

“I think I have one at home,” Sawa said. “Sorry, I don't bring it with me. I'd have lost it if I did, and even at home—”

“It's probably lost,” Mine agreed, smirking. “Sawa's always running late and losing stuff.”

Ikki shrugged. The key wasn't that important. Any one of them could pick the lock if need be, though they'd probably ask the building manager first. Well, Ukyo would, Toma might, even Ikki might, but Shin would just pick the lock.

“That answers that,” Toma said. “Maybe you should take him back now, Ikki.”

“Oh? Is there some reason you can't, Toma?”

“You know what I mean. You're on babysitting detail.”

“Hey!” Orion cried. “I'm not a baby. I don't need to be watched like that. I can take care of myself, and I do just fine. Neesan and I always manage. We're a team.”

Ikki nodded, reaching for his coffee cup. “Yes, he's one smooth little operator. You should have seen him with my fan club earlier.”

“What? I thought we agreed you weren't telling anyone about that.”

Ikki smiled. “You agreed. I never said anything of the sort. Though it was rather smart of him to think of telling those obnoxious women I was cosplaying myself. And apparently I'm the older brother now. Sorry, Toma.”

Toma laughed, and Ukyo's camera went off again. Shin grunted. “Don't any of you know how to work? To think I actually miss him keeping the three of you in line.”

Ikki laughed. “Go ahead and ask questions with that attitude, Shin. We'll see how far you get with it. I don't think our ladies would be very willing to share, and worse, you'd make them worry about the safety of their friend all over again, knowing you're taking care of her.”

Shin glared at him. “Like she'd be safe with you, pervert.”

“Having a healthy appreciation for the feminine form does not make me a pervert,” Ikki said. “You're just jealous, as usual.”

Shin rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You going to ask them about her stalker or what?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversations get complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was hard to get the conversations right. And harder still to do the ending.

* * *

Kent eyed the plant in front of him, making notes on its condition. This was not unexpected, given the parameters of the experiment itself, but he had still hoped that this particular strain would prove more resilient than this. He supposed that was foolish, and such optimism was unlike him, but this little plant reminded him of so many things he shouldn't even be thinking about, emotional, nostalgic things that only meant pain.

He gave it more water, though it would do little to revive it. The thing was as good as dead, and he knew it. Wasting time trying to nurture it back to life would be foolish and negate the experiment.

“Kent?”

He smacked into the counter when he heard his name, letting out an involuntary curse and wincing. He would feel that for the next few days, if not longer, and it would likely call to mind this embarrassment every time.

There was no one here. He must have imagined it. Whether that was another fugue moment, somehow bringing back only the auditory hallucination of his mother's voice—but no, that was not her voice. He knew that.

Unsettled, he left the lab, telling himself he was a fool as he started back up the stairs. He followed them around the curve, passing the wall, and then he saw her, sitting at the top of them.

“What is it? What are you doing there?” Kent asked her, not sure what she was thinking. “Did you—did you call for me?”

She nodded. “I thought about coming down after you—”

“No. That would have been—I was extremely negligent. I left you no means to contact me in case you did need something else, and you were forced to come after me because I was selfish and—Did you tear your stitches? Are you bleeding? In pain? I can—”

“What favor did I ask of you?”

He stopped, frowning in confusion. What was this? Some kind of... test? He put his hand to his head, trying to think of what she could mean. Their relationship was not the sort that would include favors—it barely included civil conversation—so why would there be anything so unlike him? He rarely did favors for anyone, including Ikkyu. 

“Favor?” Kent forced himself to speak. “I never did any favors for you, nor can I recall any you might have asked me for. You must be mistaken.”

She shook her head. “No, I asked you for a favor. I know I did. That part is clear. You... you came to the cafe to arrange a time to talk to me about it in private. It must have been important. You came in the middle of the trial. You... don't remember that?”

Kent frowned. As far as he was aware, his missing memories were of the time around the bombing. The day before it was basically gone, as was much of what happened afterward—he had no clear recollection of anything after his leg was injured nor of the first few days in the hospital. “No. Frankly, it is difficult to believe I would have done such a thing. I rarely left the courthouse during a trial at all, even when it was not anything of particular interest to me—I could be recalled or I might learn something, though mostly I did not. It was definitely not something I did when my mother was leading the case—”

“Your mother?”

“Oh, I see you were unaware of that detail,” Kent said, noting the confusion on her face. She had not been present for that conversation, somehow, or she'd forgotten it, perhaps losing it in the rapid back and forth that was typical of their team at work. He rather wished he had not brought it up, for talking of his mother was difficult even outside the context of the fire. “But, yes, she was a prosecutor, and though we did not always collaborate in such a manner, we had at least once before the yakuza case that cost her life.”

Kokoa frowned. “I'm sure of what I remembered right now. It's so clear. You came to the restaurant. Mine and Sawa made a big deal out of you being in a suit and not in your jacket, and you asked to speak to me outside because you had to go back to the trial.”

He shook his head. “I think I should help you back to the couch and examine your wounds. Is it possible you've already developed an infection? That might explain the confusion of this memory. Or is it a hallucination? Yes, it could well be a fevered delusion, and I do remember that I spiked several fevers while I was recovering, though my burns were more extensive from what I understand of your condition and—”

“I remember it,” she insisted. “And I don't have a fever.”

He shook his head. “You do not remember this, I do not think, but you are not one to tell the truth of that fact.”

“What? Are you calling me a liar?”

“At least once you insisted you were not sick at all and capable of working when you were not,” Kent told her. “You had picked up a very virulent flu from your brother, but as you'd already taken time off work to care for him, you felt you could not take any more time even when you were ill yourself. You collapsed at work. In that case, you very much lied about your condition, though it was quite usual behavior for you, putting your brother first like that.”

“Oh.”

“Let me help you back to the couch. Or would you prefer the bed upstairs this time?”

“I'm not lying about this, Kent. I remembered it. All of it. I was looking at a picture of you and the others at an awards ceremony and—”

“Is there something you are wishing me to say here?” Kent asked, folding his arms over his chest. “This incident is completely unfamiliar to me, and as I am the one of the two of us with the more complete memory at this point, I believe we have to take my version of events as the accepted one. There was no meeting and no favor.”

“But—”

“I had already given up my routine of going to that restaurant by the time that trial started. It was—The yakuza family was calling my phone constantly, leaving inept but explicit messages, and I had to change my number. They made some visits in person, not far from the cafe. It was clear I could not go back there again, so I did not. I would not have gone there for what you describe.”

She bit her lip. “It confused me then, the way you were acting, but you didn't tell me about the harassment, did you?”

“No, but as I said, that meeting didn't—”

“You said you wanted to 'end things properly.' You... were saying goodbye, finishing the favor and then you... never intended to come back again.”

Kent hesitated. That did actually sound like a conclusion he'd reached, at least in part. He had known he was not returning to the cafe, nor would he see her again, but he still didn't recall arranging to meet her. “Why would such a thing be necessary? We were only acquaintances. At best we enjoyed arguing with each other, but I don't think that—there was no need for goodbyes, nor have I ever been one to make them.”

She shook her head. “I want to call you the liar now. Why won't you tell me the truth? What favor was it? I know that was real. I know it. I can feel it. I'm sure it happened.”

“In spite of all evidence to the contrary, basing this on an emotional reaction?” Kent shook his head. “While that is also very like you, I am not interested in debating this with you. I have no memory of these events. I cannot say why you do, but... perhaps that was not even me. I cannot say, except that this will get us nowhere. I did not say goodbye to you. I wouldn't have. And we had no favors—you hated being in debt to anyone. You rejected my advice and—no. You did not ask me for a favor. If you wish to be stubborn about it, I cannot change your mind. Feel free to sit there as long as you want.”

He turned, descending the stairs and returning to the lab.

Impossible. All of it. Completely impossible.

* * *

“Stalker?”

“Shin's jumping the gun a little,” Toma said, frustrated. That wasn't the way they wanted to start this, but Shin always wanted to cut straight to the point if he could. Not that it was always bad, but with the two women already worried about their friend and the boy, too, they needed to do this a bit more carefully. They couldn't go scaring people or influencing the evidence. “We wanted to ask about her recent behavior. Orion told us that she was coming home later, tired all the time, taking strange paths home. Did you notice anything like that?”

“Hmm, well, she was distracted,” Sawa said, and Mine nodded. “I don't know about tired or the way she took home, but she did seem like she had something on her mind.”

Mine bit her lip, worried. “You really think she had a stalker?”

“It's possible,” Ikki said. “We don't have proof of that yet, though. That's why we're here. You said she was distracted. Did you have any idea why?”

Sawa shook her head. “She didn't talk about it. She never did. If something was bothering her, she tried to keep it to herself. She wouldn't want to worry anyone, and she... she was really bad about needing to do it all herself. She was so proud when it came to that sort of thing.”

“Especially about Orion. She never wanted anyone telling her what to do with him. It didn't matter if it was about what to feed him or where to send him to school, she got very upset if you tried to tell her she was doing it wrong.”

“And she usually wasn't,” Sawa said, giving Orion's hair a ruffle. He made a face, glaring at her. “We tended to argue because she wasn't always so good about taking care of herself, and she never wanted anyone to help—it was like accepting help was saying she couldn't do it all, even if that wasn't true. It's just... Well, there were people who thought she shouldn't be raising him, and that apparently started all the way back at the beginning. It was worse when she was trying to do school and work, but those people mostly shut up when she gave up college to work full time here.”

“They're idiots,” Orion said, angry. “Neesan takes good care of me. She always has.”

“I know that,” Sawa said. “It's just that she was pretty young when your parents died, barely old enough to be on her own, and no one really thought she should have responsibility for both of you. And really, all we wanted was for her to take some time for herself... to do a few things that would have made it easier for her, but she didn't usually like to hear about them because of the people before that told her that she should give you to someone else.”

“Who?” Orion asked, frowning. “It's not like we had another sibling or anyone else close. I've never so much as met an uncle or an aunt.”

Sawa forced a smile. “Well, it didn't matter because she was determined to keep you and she did.”

Toma exchanged a look with Ikki. This was probably something they should ask about again when the kid wasn't around, since no one seemed willing to talk about it honestly in front of him. “Have you ever noticed her being this kind of distracted before?”

“Well...” Mine looked at Sawa. “You said you thought it was the anniversary, right?”

“Anniversary?”

Sawa nodded. “I think it was about this time of year when her parents died.”

“You think?” Shin said. “You don't know?”

“I told you—she's really private. She never mentioned specific dates or even how they died. She said it was an accident, and it was why she moved back here,” Sawa said. “She grew up in this area, but her parents moved when she got older. When they died, she came back here to raise Orion. It was where she was planning on going to college, too, but she said she thought growing up here would be better for him. She said she was happier here.”

“Yeah,” Mine said, patting Orion's head. “She said the only thing good that came out of that move was you.”

Toma frowned. “You have any idea where she was living before she came back?”

Mine shrugged. “She never really talked about it, you know?”

“Not with us, at least.”

“Was there anyone else in her life she might have told?” Ikki asked. “Boyfriend? Mentor? Therapist?”

“Seriously, Ikki?” Shin demanded. “You've got to be the only one that willingly goes to see a therapist.”

Ikki frowned. “I never said I went to see a therapist. I've got nothing against people who do. And certainly mine would have to be cute if I did, but then again—”

“Kind of defeats the purpose of therapy,” Toma said, shaking his head.

“Not for a certain kind of healing,” Ikki answered with a grin, and Shin threw a wadded up napkin at him. He flicked it onto the floor before smiling at the ladies. “And I'm always open to finding that special person who can give it to me.”

Shin groaned. Ukyo looked embarrassed. Toma found himself wishing Kent was here to say something that would get Ikki's flirting back in check, since Kent was good at bringing up something from the past or even just the way he said _Ikkyu_ could be enough.

“He doesn't actually mean it,” Toma said, and both women blinked at his words. “Ikki's hardwired to flirt, it's something that went wrong back in his childhood, but he's not serious about it.”

Ikki shrugged. “You never know what I might mean, Toma. That's the real problem. Still, we are here to work. Anything else can wait, and I wasn't even the one that distracted us this time. That was Shin mocking me for suggesting our girl might speak to a therapist about things she hadn't told anyone else—which is not that far-fetched, even if her means were somewhat limited.”

Toma nodded, conceding that one. “How about it? Did she talk to anyone else? Your manager?”

Mine snorted. “No way. He's terrible. They should have fired him years ago. She could do such a better job.”

“Boyfriend?”

“No guy could compete with Orion.”

“Now, that's not true, Mine,” Sawa disagreed. “They're not mutually exclusive. As long as the guy understood he'd be taking on both of them, there was a chance. In fact, there was—”

“Sawa, that was only a possibility in your delusional mind. She told us she hated him.”

Toma made a note to get Sawa to explain that later. Even if Mine didn't think it was possible, or if it was true and Kokoa hated this guy, then he could be a suspect for the stalker. Not that they could prove there was a stalker—maybe there wasn't. It would have been nice to get confirmation somewhere, but it felt like even as much as they'd learned so far today, they still knew nothing of use.

“What about regular customers? Any of them she might have confided in?”

“Not anymore,” Sawa said. “There was one that she was kind of close to, but he stopped coming in a while back. She knows a few names and greets them on sight, but she doesn't spend any extra time with them or anything.”

“Were any of her regulars in today?” Ukyo asked, fiddling with his camera, and Toma realized he was an idiot. He should have figured it out sooner. That was why Ukyo had come. He was taking pictures of everyone in the restaurant, looking for a regular who might double as a stalker. If that guy was smart—and he did seem to be—he'd have come back like usual, pretending he had no idea Kokoa had been attacked.

“A couple,” Mine said. “No one seemed that bothered that she was gone, though. No one but us, that is, and the manager, who was being a jerk and threatening to fire her.”

“What? It's not her fault,” Orion objected. “She didn't asked to be kidnapped and left for dead in a warehouse. She didn't do anything wrong.”

“Kidnapped and left for dead?” Mine repeated, eyes wide with disbelief. 

“That's what happened to her? And you didn't tell us?” Sawa shook her head. “That's it. I want to see her. Right now.”

* * *

She forced herself up, knowing she had to do this. She didn't care how much it hurt. She was going down that staircase, spiral or not, and she was talking to Kent. He didn't get to leave like that. He kept insisting he had to be right, but that wasn't true. She knew he had problems with his memory—he'd admitted as much, so why was he so sure that he was right and not her?

She bit her lip, hard, to keep from crying out with every step. She shouldn't have taken the stairs earlier. These ones wouldn't hurt so much now if she hadn't been stubborn this morning. She'd had Orion's help, but she knew better than that. Why did she have to do everything herself? Was it so terrible to get help from any of them?

All those men, they were good people, and even if some of them were gruffer than others or even rude, they'd all been kind to her and were watching over her, trying to find the person who'd done this to her. She didn't have to do this on her own—she even knew better than to think she could. She was just a waitress.

She took the last step with a wince, falling against the wall. She used it to drag herself forward as she walked toward the open doorway. She leaned against the frame, breathing hard.

“It died,” Kent said, and she frowned. “In the time between when I left the room and now, it died. It was not doing well, I know that, and it could not have been expected to, but I had just watered it... I do not know that—nothing would have saved it, I'm sure, but it still died so quickly...”

She swallowed. “Kent...”

“It is only a plant,” he said, pushing it back on the shelf. “It never mattered to me before whether or not they lived or died. They are living organisms, but... they are unintelligent and unimportant, and yet... I find myself reacting to its death. I never used to do that before.”

She rubbed her head. “Even plants have value.”

“Yes, I believe you said that before,” he told her, taking a deep breath. “You saw value in many small things I thought had little purpose, and we argued over that as well. It truly was all we ever did.”

“I wasn't trying to argue with you this time. I thought I'd finally remembered something useful.”

“I think you put too much emphasis on being of use,” he said and then shook his head. “Not that I am any better in that regard, I suppose. I see my worth only in the terms of my ability to reason, and as that has been so severely compromised, I fear I have little at all... so I reacted quite childishly to you suggesting there was even more of a fault in my memory, more damage to my mind than I was aware of previously.”

“I could be wrong,” she said, though she had felt so sure it was a real memory and actually happened. It wasn't a dream—she'd been awake when she had it—and Sawa and Mine sounded like themselves and Kent... his behavior confused her, but she hadn't doubted it was him.

“And you may not be,” he said, still not looking at her. “They told me they could not be certain the extent of the possible damage and it might not show itself right away. They were optimistic, of course, as I hadn't lost basic functionality, but I was without oxygen for long enough for there to be complications.”

She winced. Everything she heard of what happened to him seemed so terrible. “Kent—”

“Wait.” He lifted his head and looked back at her. “What... Why—you came after me again. Why did you do that? You've hurt yourself. I can tell, and I don't—even if you wished to argue the point, this was foolish.”

“Maybe,” she said, “but I had to talk to you.”

“I was not willing to listen. Surely that much was obvious, so why push yourself to come down here? Why not wait and confront me when I inevitably returned upstairs? This—”

“At first, I was angry. That made it easy to push past the pain. I was so sure—we've treated every other memory I have as real, but all of a sudden, just when I thought I had something useful, you dismissed it immediately, and I wanted to argue with you and—and...”

“And?”

She closed her eyes, wincing. She fought the pain, not wanting to say the rest of it. That part was even stupider than the rest. _I didn't want to be alone._

She felt something lift her, and she opened her eyes to find herself in Kent's arms again, the relief from being off her feet almost overwhelming. She didn't want to say it, but this felt so much better. She sighed, leaning against him. Something about this, too, was familiar, but why?

“It has always confused me that I could admire your stubbornness while finding it infuriating as well as ridiculous,” Kent said, shaking his head as he carried her out of the room. “Nevertheless, it will prove difficult to get you up the stairs, which leaves only one option at present and—please understand there is no ulterior motive here. There is no chair in the lab that would give your leg sufficient support, nor would the floor be suitable.”

She frowned, but he pushed open the other door and her eyes widened. “Kent, is this—”

“My room, yes,” he said, crossing over to the bed in the middle of the room. He set her down on top of the blanket—this one felt the same as the one he'd given her upstairs, not like the ones on the bed from last night that felt too nice to touch. She was so sure she'd ruin them, and her pain wasn't the only thing keeping her awake.

This part of the house felt welcoming, not like the rest of it, even though it wasn't decorated as nice or full of things half as expensive as the upstairs.

“You can rest here for a while. I'll have to reassess the stairs—Ikkyu has told me before I should install an elevator, but that seemed an unnecessary expense, and I never thought it truly worthwhile, not even when I was recuperating. I stuck to one level of the house as only made sense.”

She laughed a little. “You're so practical.”

He sighed, lifting her leg to put a pillow under it. “I am not so amusing, nor should you be so impractical. You forced a great deal of unnecessary pain on yourself, and for what? It afforded you nothing. We still don't know what your memory might mean—there is nothing in my mind that...”

“Kent?”

“No, it's nothing. I was just thinking you need your medication, but I don't know where Ikkyu put it. Perhaps upstairs?” Kent started walking away, but she grabbed his shirt, holding him in place. He looked back at her and frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Don't go.”

He stared at her. “You... cannot possibly want me to stay. Even were we to have a productive conversation—and we don't have them, ever—you... if you did truly remember everything, you would not want that.”

“What?”

“The last time we spoke, you were quite clear about it—you hated me and never wished to see me again.”

* * *

“I fear we may have made a mistake, all coming here at once,” Ukyo said with a sigh. Ikki frowned slightly—they hadn't come all at once. It wasn't unlike them, though, to gravitate towards the same space. That happened a lot when they were working a case, no matter what their individual roles. “I had only meant to observe the cafe for myself. I wanted to get a sense of the place and the people. Having seen it, I feel it has an energy that suits her. She must have felt quite at home here.”

Sawa blinked, taken aback by Ukyo's comment. It didn't seem to connect to what she'd just demanded, that was for sure. “What?”

“He means we get sidetracked easily when we're all trying to question someone at the same time,” Ikki said, missing Ken's ability to direct them towards the questions that mattered. He and Waka were both good at that. Shin was like a laser, always going right to the point, and Toma would try and back him off and use some tact unlike most of the rest of them. Ukyo usually wouldn't ask many questions, and Ikki was somewhere in the middle, though he got the blame for the questions going wrong most of the time.

He couldn't help it if flirting a little seemed to get the best response from half the people he interviewed.

“He's right. We should do the interviews separately,” Shin said. “And no, you can't see her. She's at a safe house. It only stays safe if no one knows where it is, which means neither of you are going there.”

“Shin is right. If you were to go there, you would put her at risk again,” Ukyo said, trying to be gentle. “That is not what anyone wants.”

“We understand you're worried,” Toma said, “but we can't budge on this. Keeping her where she is and not disclosing that information to anyone is the only way we can keep her safe until we know who is behind this. Right now, it could be almost anyone.”

“Not one of us,” Sawa insisted. “She's our friend. We wouldn't do anything to hurt her.”

“Which is why you should listen to us and accept that you can't see her,” Ikki said. “I'm sorry, but we have to think of more than just friendship here. This case is more important than you know, and your friend is right in the middle of it. That means we will protect her, but to do that, we have to keep her location a secret.”

Orion looked between the women and the men. “Could we maybe bring Neesan somewhere that's not the house but not the cafe or anywhere this guy might look for her for them to see her?”

“Yeah,” Mine said. “That would work, wouldn't it? And shouldn't she be in the hospital? You said she was left for dead. That means she's hurt. So she should have a doctor.”

“She's actually with a doctor,” Toma said, which was technically true but also completely misleading, much like Toma himself. Ukyo gave him a look for the lie, but Toma just shrugged. “He _is_ a doctor. Has the degree on his wall and everything.”

“Not that kind of doctor,” Shin muttered under his breath. Toma elbowed him, but it didn't look like either of the girls caught what he'd said. Ken's doctorate was in math, though, and Orion knew that. Ikki wasn't so sure he'd stay quiet about it, either.

“He is almost an expert on burns by now,” Ikki said to smooth it over. “She's in good hands.”

As far as that went, at least, Ikki thought to himself. Ken had firsthand knowledge of how to treat that, had even researched new therapies to speed up his recovery, and could possibly do better than some of the local doctors—if he could stay calm while he looked at the wounds. Ken's own scars could and did set him off, so the situation was far from ideal.

Damn it, Ikki should have gone back a long time ago. He could have passed the kid off to any of the others when he saw they were here, but he'd been curious about what the girl's friends could tell them, hoping for much more than what they'd gotten.

“I'd almost feel worse for her doctor,” Sawa said, and everyone looked at her. She shrugged. “She's very stubborn. She never admits it when she's sick or hurting.”

“That's true,” Orion agreed. “I always know, but she still tries not to let me see it.”

Those two. Protective of each other, even when the other saw right through them. Ikki had to smile at it, thinking he understood it some. He and Ken almost had that same thing going on, not that Ken would ever admit that he was protective—but he did see through Ikki like no one else.

Orion started to say something else, but Shin rose, looking around in concern. “Wait. Anyone else smell that?”

Toma frowned. “Yeah, something's burning.”

Mine and Sawa exchanged a look. “No. Nothing's cooking. No one's ordered any food since before you came in.”

“Out, now,” Shin ordered, grabbing hold of Ukyo, who frowned at him even as Shin forced him toward the door. Their photographer could be absentminded sometimes, and it was almost funny to see Shin acting protective of him. Toma rose, and Ikki pushed Orion toward him, not wanting to send the kid out alone just in case this was a diversion to force their witness out where the killer was lying in wait for him.

Something crashed in the kitchen, and Sawa frowned, hesitating, like she was going to go that way. Shin caught her before she could, pulling her along with him. 

“We have to—”

“You can't go in that kitchen,” Ikki said, grabbing Mine around the waist before she could leave. She looked up at him like this was some moment in a movie, and he shook his head even as he carried her along with him, not wanting to risk her rushing back to danger the moment he let go. “Come on. We have to go. Now.”

He heard more noises behind them, but he didn't stop, following the others out into the street. Toma and the kid were already halfway across the street, and with them Ukyo, who had already started taking pictures.

“Down!” Someone shouted, and Ikki pushed Mine down, covering her as best he could just before the loud boom came and the glass blew out at them, pelting his back. He looked back at the cafe, swearing that despite the ringing in his ears, he heard laughter as the building was engulfed in flames.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys react to the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of those chapters where I intended to do more, but this perfect ending line came and... I used it.
> 
> Things are getting closer to an explanation, though, I promise.

* * *

Shin dragged himself back up to his feet, giving Sawa a glance. She didn't seem to be hurt, but her face showed just how confused and afraid she was. He didn't have time to babysit her. He wasn't an arson expert, but he knew it wasn't a bomb. That fire had been set while they were talking—who knew how much of their conversation this creep had overheard?

They hadn't said anything that important, but it was dangerous enough for this guy to know that Kokoa was alive. And if he was targeting Kent, he might know what they meant by saying she was with a doctor.

None of that was good, but the point was—the killer had been there. He'd set that fire.

He could still be here now.

Shin saw Ikki and Toma moving, both of them must have been thinking the same thing. Looked like Ikki was headed back around the building if he could get there. Toma nodded to Shin before running down the other alley. Shin grunted.

“Stay put,” he called to the girls and took off in the opposite direction. They'd have to be safe with Ukyo, who hadn't moved from where he was taking pictures, even after the windows blew out.

Shin ran down the alley, not entirely sure what he was looking for. Someone standing around, maybe, someone who started running when he got close, something obvious, but the alley was empty aside from the dumpster. 

He slowed down, taking a look inside. Someone must have collected the trash today, since nothing was left but two bags. Nowhere for anyone to hide. Shin moved on, reaching the end of the alleyway. The next street seemed undisturbed, only a few people starting to take notice of the smoke coming up over the buildings.

He didn't see anything suspicious, but he wasn't sure he would have. He had a feeling this guy was good at blending in and going unnoticed.

He turned back, using the other alley to return just in case. He checked along the wall as he ran. This one didn't have a dumpster, but he kicked a trash pile, knocking cans loose and rattling.

Still nothing.

Shin increased his pace, running the rest of the way back to the middle.

“Anything?” Toma asked, panting, and Shin shook his head. The crime scene people might, maybe in that dumpster, maybe not, but he had nothing. “Damn it, me, either. What about you, Ikki?”

Ikki shook his head, dusting off his suit jacket and facing the fire again. “No. I got as close I could to the back alley, but I didn't see anyone. Swore I heard the bastard laughing, though.”

“Same here,” Shin said. “What the hell was that?”

“Not sure,” Toma said. “But I think it's best we don't stick around here much longer. Even if he's watching us, I'd feel a lot better getting those girls and the boy far from here.”

“We can't be sure that this wasn't directed at them,” Ikki said, still watching the flames. Shin almost waved a hand in front of his face. Kent was the one who spaced out in front of the fire, right? “We don't know that he knew we were in there or that Orion was.”

“Any of us could have been the target,” Toma agreed. “The only thing we know for sure is that it wasn't Kent this time.”

Shin gave him a look. If they'd been seen going in, then that wasn't necessarily true, either. Sure, Kent was hard to miss, tall as he was and usually in some long dark coat, that expression on his face that looked like, well, a resting bitch face, but the rest of the task force had been there, and they didn't usually gather only four members at a time. Their team seemed to be an odd all or nothing deal, or at least it had been after Kent was attacked. Shin still worked with Toma when he needed a partner—no one else could read him or knew him well enough to anticipate him and that was important undercover—but he rarely saw Ikki or Ukyo. Hell, Ukyo had been out of the country for most of the last year.

“You have something to say, Shin?”

“We need to split up,” Shin said. “Each of us takes one of the civilians and a long route back to the fortress to make sure we're not being followed. The girls need to change clothes.”

“Fine. Ikki can take Orion—”

“Excuse me?”

“Like you want to deal with either of them flirting with you when you're trying to make sure you're not being tailed,” Shin said. “Besides, Orion already has a solution to your problem, right? We'd send him with Ukyo, but he won't be leaving the scene any time soon.”

“No, he'll want to be sure he gets the crowd just in case this creep is here,” Ikki said, grimacing. “Fine, I've got Orion. Toma gets Sawa, and you get Mine.”

“Wait, what?” 

Ikki smirked as he walked away, already talking to the others. Mine and Sawa looked worried, but he was flashing them his best reassuring actor grin, and Shin figured they'd fall for it. Most people did. The guy wasn't as popular as he was just because he had a pretty face. If he wasn't instantly recognizable to most people—at least without the kind of makeup Ikki refused to use and would be dangerous in their line of work anyway—he'd be better at undercover work than Shin or Toma.

“Come on,” Toma said. “We need to get them out of here.”

Shin nodded. They couldn't afford to wait, that wasn't it, but he didn't want to give into Ikki, either. 

“...So we'll split up, but we will meet back up together in the same place, at least for now,” Ikki explained. “Everyone clear on the plan? No one's going to argue or talk back? We don't have time for that. It's not safe.”

“We understand,” Orion said. “I'm ready. I want to get back to Neesan anyway.”

Ikki nodded, leading the boy off down the street. Some newcomers gave them a glance, and Shin grimaced. He hoped that wasn't going to end up on those stupid social media sites.

“You're with me,” Toma told Sawa with a smile. “We'll stop and get you a change of clothes along the way, first shop we find and don't worry about the cost.”

“He'll just expense it anyway,” Shin muttered. He looked at Mine. “Come on. Let's go.”

She looked over at Ukyo. “Can't I go with—”

“He'll be along later. He's got work to do. Now move.”

* * *

“There is a rumor going around that my task force was at the scene of a bombing.”

“While my presence here might give some people the wrong idea, I'm sure none of us has any idea what they're talking about,” Ukyo said, snapping another picture of the crowd. Though Shin, Ikki, and Toma had gone searching for the person who'd set fire to the cafe, whoever it was had already disappeared by the time they'd circled back to each other, and they'd quickly made the decision to split the witnesses and leave, which Ukyo understood.

He hadn't been consulted about that, but he didn't expect to be. They knew what he wanted to do and where he would be.

“Of course not,” Waka said, eying the remains of the restaurant. Ukyo was still impressed with how fast the building had burned, the fire consuming it within moments of them reaching the street. There had been nothing they could do, and they were lucky that the seven of them were the only ones present at the time. “Imagine suggesting to me that my team would leave the scene of a crime and fail to report to the ranking officer on scene.”

Ukyo tried not to laugh. None of the others would do that, not even Kent, who seemed to have memorized the rule book. If they had a way to make progress on the case, no amount of protocol would keep even Kent around, and the others wouldn't even care about that. “I wouldn't have thought anyone would dare.”

“Few people suggest anything so foolish to me and are still standing to speak of it,” Waka agreed. He folded his arms behind his back. “I did inform him that if you had any useful photographs, you'd be sure to pass them along.”

Ukyo nodded. “Of course. I'll have to develop them first.”

Waka glanced at the camera, and Ukyo reddened. Yes, this one was digital, and no, development was not needed. He could tap into the closest wifi signal and send them from here if he needed to, but he wouldn't. He wasn't giving away any of the ones that showed them or the witnesses at the scene, and he wanted to see the ones of the crowd first before he gave them to anyone else.

“Still, as this fire bears a resemblance to the ones that the task force is now investigating, we will have to know if this one is connected to the others. It burned quite quickly from what I understand.”

Ukyo nodded. “I probably have enough pictures to give us an idea of the time it took, and it wasn't long. A couple minutes at the most.”

“Curious.”

“What is?” Ukyo asked. He would rather have had Kent here right about now. This was usually when he would take over and explain all that Waka wasn't saying and then some, adding his own thought and theories as well as drawing out ideas from the others. Ukyo often found that he knew what Waka meant, but not always before one of the others pointed it out to him. 

“The progression,” Waka said, and Ukyo had a feeling he'd be asking Kent about this later. “The initial fires were intense but controlled, sustained for a considerable time to destroy most of the evidence, and they are still trying to make sense of those scenes.”

“That was part of why I wanted to get the pictures to Makato. He said he hadn't see anything from the other crime scenes yet. I know they were running some tests against missing persons, but... they haven't actually identified most of the other victims yet.”

Waka's eyes closed, almost like he was in pain. “That could have been intentional.”

“They didn't want them identified? Just her?” Ukyo frowned. This was not the part of the job he usually did. He took pictures. He let the others do the talking and making of the theories. They were better at that sort of thing—Shin with his suspicious mind, Ikki with his ability to see into people like he might roles for television, Kent with all the things he knew, and Toma was good at understanding crime, too, with his background in law.

Waka did not answer. “It would be best if you could develop those pictures as quickly as possible.”

Ukyo nodded, understanding the orders that he'd been given. He turned to leave, taking a few steps before he found himself stopping. “Waka?”

“Yes?”

“The boy said he saw someone laughing at the scene yesterday. And today... I heard laughter.” Ukyo felt like that was important somehow. He didn't know why.

“I see.”

Ukyo did not need more than those words to know that Waka wouldn't tell him anything now. He walked away from the fire, grateful that he'd be seeing the others soon, at least. There was some comfort to be had in that, and they all could use it after what had happened.

* * *

“Why did we go all the way around the city if we were just going to come here?” Mine asked with a frown. “I know this place, and we are not far from the cafe. We used to pass by it any time we went to Kokoa's old apartment. It kind of sticks out around here.”

Sawa had to nod. She remembered it, too. The warehouse surrounded by a bunch of regular houses was pretty noticeable, even though someone had done a pretty good job of fixing up the outside so it wasn't the eyesore it had been when she was younger. She remembered it being a spooky place, all run down and all, but some millionaire had bought it and turned it into a house, supposedly. She'd never seen the inside of it, not even in a magazine, so she'd been curious, but she knew she wasn't going to see it.

“What do you think, Shin?” Toma asked, his eyes on the door. He seemed tense. “We call Ikki for the code or keep waiting?”

Shin didn't turn from watching behind them. “Better get the code. We have no idea if anything happened here while we were gone.”

Toma nodded, but a second later, the door slid open. Sawa saw Mine's eyes gape in disbelief, and before Sawa completely knew what she was doing, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the man inside the doorway. 

“Kent! You're alive!” Sawa said, relieved. She knew he was a really difficult man to get along with, but she really had thought he must have died after he stopped coming into the cafe, since she'd seen that horrible fire on the news. Kokoa had been really upset about it, too, and Sawa knew she'd tried to see him at the hospital but couldn't.

“Like we really thought you were dead,” Mine agreed, coming forward and joining Sawa in hugging him. “She's going to be so glad you're not.”

“What... is this...?” Kent asked, standing stiffly and looking back to the other men in confusion.

“I don't know,” Toma said, laughing. “I was going to ask you that.”

“Get off of me,” Kent said, pushing Sawa off back into Mine. He backed away from them, standing at a distance. He folded his arms over his chest, and Sawa grimaced. He did not look happy at all, even if Toma seemed to find this hilarious.

“Sorry,” Sawa said. “It was just a bit of a shock to see you after what just happened. A relief, too.”

“So nice to see a familiar face, even if it _is_ yours,” Mine agreed. “Well, we knew Ikki, but it was still totally weird him being there as a cop and not the guy from television.”

Kent swallowed. “Where is Ikkyu? And Orion?”

“We split up after the fire, all of us taking different routes to get here in case we were followed,” Toma told him. “Shin and I got here about the same time, but you took an awfully long time to get to the door, and we almost called him just to get in.”

“I was downstairs,” Kent said. “And I do not think you should—”

A loud chime interrupted him, and he jumped. Sawa frowned, looking over at Mine, but he pushed past both of them, going to a panel by the door. He pushed a button on it, and the door slid open again. Orion dashed in, followed by Ikki.

“Oh. They're already here.”

“I told you I thought they would be,” Ikki said. He gave Kent a smile. “Hey, Ken. You look a little pale. You get anything to eat yet? Maybe we should—”

“You are covered in soot, Ikkyu.”

Ikki grimaced. “It's not that bad. Really. No one was hurt, we were the only ones in the building, and we got everyone out in time. The cafe... is a complete loss, that's true, but just try and stay calm. It's not as bad as it—”

“Bastard,” Kent said, walking away from them, and Sawa frowned in confusion. As rude as he'd been in the cafe, they'd never actually heard him use harsh language like that.

“Uh, Ikki?” Orion asked, frowning. “Is Kent okay? He seems... angry, but why would he be mad at you for the fire? It wasn't your fault.”

“This is one of those things were there's a lot going on in Kent's head and he has no idea that he's said a part of it out loud that makes no sense on its own,” Toma said. “That said, even for him it was a little weird.”

Shin snorted. “Nothing has been normal since this started.”

* * *

“Ken,” Ikki said, walking into the kitchen. He'd hoped that his friend would take longer to notice that there had been another fire, since the last thing he wanted was to set Ken off again. He'd been through enough panic attacks yesterday and then this morning. He did not need to go through another round of them. Plus he'd wanted to talk to Ken alone, make sure he was okay after being alone with Waka—and the girl.

“How many of you were there when the fire happened?”

Ikki winced. Of course Ken would ask that. “All of us. Everyone that's here now. I'd gone by the cafe with Orion to see about a key to their apartment, and the others were already there. Ukyo wanted to take pictures of the regulars, looking for her stalker. Toma was supposed to be there. Not sure about Shin, but you know he always does what he wants.”

“Like you're one to talk,” Shin muttered as he walked into the room. “The headmaster is gone for the weekend. No one knew where he'd gone. He's still a possibility, so I thought I might see if the girl's friends had seen the guy lurking around. Not that we got anything useful out of them because, as usual, Toma coddled them and you distracted them by being you.”

Ikki sighed. “You know I never asked for this, right? I was acting before I even understood what I was doing. And at first it seemed fun because I was a kid in a superhero show, and I thought I liked the attention. If I'd have known back then just how badly this was going to screw up my life, I would never have gone along with it.”

“The path you chose for yourself was much more mundane,” Ken agreed, that strange tone still in his voice.

“What is it?” Ikki said. “Did something happen while we were gone?”

“You could have died in a fire and want to ask me that?” Ken scoffed. “Don't bother trying to placate me a second time. I'm not a fool. You were all present at the cafe. That means any one of you could have been a target. Or all of you were. And yet as I pointed out to Waka after you were gone, it would have made more sense if someone looking for revenge against me had targeted you, Ikkyu. You are... the only thing close to family I have left. And if you were not a target for me, you still could have been for Waka I even asked him if he was using you as bait and—”

“Damn,” Ikki muttered. After thinking that, to hear Ikki had been anywhere near a fire—Ken was taking this rather well. He shook his head. “I'm fine. None of us were badly hurt, but since we don't know who they were after, we thought it best to bring them all to the only place we know is safe, at least for now.”

“You really think this is someone after Waka?” Shin asked, frowning. “Because that tutor of yours... He still hates you and blames your family for ruining his life.”

Ken blinked. “Absurd. His own choices decided that for him.”

“Yeah, well, he claimed you lied about what he did to get your parents' attention and they overreacted into blocking his degree.”

“Oh, come on,” Toma said, entering the room. “If anyone lied, it was that guy. We all know it. Kent doesn't even know how to lie.”

“That is not true,” Ken protested. “I am not unfamiliar with the concept of deception.”

“What Toma really means is that you suck at lying,” Shin said. “You're completely unconvincing.”

Ken grimaced. “I suppose I must concede. You are correct, at least in the instance you are referring to. I... I had no particular desire to speak to my parents of what had occurred in their absence, but they knew I was lying when I told them nothing had happened.”

Shin shook his head. “I don't see why you, of all people, would hide that. You're so rational that I'd almost expect you to have gone to your parents with the reasons why that man shouldn't be allowed near kids. Even if he said he never hit you. That he wasn't abusive.”

Ken turned away from them, facing the sink again. His shoulders shook. “It's laughable that someone who used violence to achieve his ends would claim such a thing.”

“That's not the word I'd use for it,” Toma said, his expression dark. “What the hell, man? He was a tutor. He's got no business touching kids. I mean, hell, we all get a bit annoyed with you, and there are times when you've pushed everyone in this room to want to punch you, but that's not the same as some jerk who hit you when you were a kid.”

“And now I think it's clear why Ken sent Shin to talk to the guy instead of one of us,” Ikki said. “You know, when this came up before, I didn't really see how much it affected you, but... he really did a number on you, didn't he?”

Ken shook his head. “What you are seeing is... the existing weakness I've already displayed. Though... my parents and I had trusted him prior to that point, even to where when they were out of town for their various work projects, they left me in his care on more than one occasion. I... It was the first time I understood just how duplicitous people could be as well as... I lost the ability to feel safe in my own home. I was hardly in a position to be rational at the time, given my age, and I... was quite terrified of his return.”

“Ken—”

“Those were the fears of my child self. At six years old, I did not have perspective on the matter,” Ken said, rubbing at his forehead. “As I grew older, such a fear faded. I was satisfied my parents kept him from doing any harm to other children in his care, and that is enough for me. If I seem at all emotional now, it is... the byproduct of the condition I'm in.”

“You had a tutor at six?” Orion asked, eyes wide. Ikki frowned, looking over at him. How long had the boy been in that doorway? Did he hear all of that? Damn, Ken was not going to like that.

“Kento's a certified genius,” Toma said. “And having met his parents, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd hired one when he was even younger than that.”

Ken frowned. “You make that sound almost... insulting. My parents were busy people, but they made time for me and arranged to meet the demands of my curiosity. Their actions were not neglectful or to blame for that man's actions.”

This was going to get ugly, Ikki thought. Toma really shouldn't have said that. Ken's parents were odd, but they weren't bad people, and it really did make sense that they would have made sure he got as much education as he could possibly want. Ken was the type of kid where that would have made him happiest, even if it was weird to everyone else.

“Better question,” Shin said. “How much of that did you hear?”

Orion tensed. “Um... not that much. Really.”

Ken eyed him with disbelief and a bit of anger showing in his face. “What do you want?”

Orion stood straight, making himself as tall as he could. “Where's Neesan? I checked the couch, and then I went upstairs, and I saw Sawa and Mine as I was looking for her, but she's not there. Neesan's not here. What did you do with her?”

“She's downstairs,” Ken answered, and Ikki knew there was a story there. “She... I was working in the lab, and she quite stubbornly followed me down there. She... I had just given her food and her medication when the doorbell chimed.”

“Oh.” Orion looked a bit sheepish. “Um... I'm going to go see her.”

He turned to leave, and Ken closed his eyes with a wince. Ikki saw Toma and Shin exchanging a look. He knew he needed to talk to Ken alone, away from any of the others. 

“I... I'm sorry, Kent,” Orion said, and everyone looked back at him. “I know you wouldn't really hurt her. I was just worried when I couldn't find her and... I'm sorry.”

Ken shook his head. “She may well have done herself harm in following me. You need not apologize.”

Orion frowned. “You—she—”

“You still need a bath,” Ikki told him, “and if she's sleeping because of her medication, you shouldn't wake her.”

“No, though someone should see to her wounds,” Ken said. “If she did take the painkillers, it would be an ideal time for that as it will be quite painful for her to change the dressings on the burns. I... I had meant to do it, but it... things became... complicated.”

“That's one way to say you had another panic attack,” Shin muttered, shaking his head.

“Actually, it would seem I'm losing my mind, but thank you for your concern, Shin.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They attempt to regroup and get a little sidetracked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... this was a yo-yo of a chapter. It was something I knew I wanted to do, and I thought I knew how, but it took a long time to get to (not sure if that was the way I haven't been feeling well or if it was the temptation by other fic) and it didn't want to cooperate, pulled a few teeth, had to be rewritten, had yet another almost asleep when I figured out how to fix it, but fixing it is... really not what this is, as while it explains, it makes things so much worse.
> 
> And... there is humor in there? And that's always complicated when there's humor in amongst the dark stuff.

* * *

“Don't say that,” Ikki said immediately, moving to block Kent before he could leave the room. “Don't—Just don't. That's not true. You are not crazy. That is not what this is. No matter how out of control your emotions make you feel, you are _not_ crazy.”

“Well, maybe a little crazy,” Toma said, trying to make a joke of it. He didn't want Kent to get started on another panic attack. He'd looked like he was close enough to it back when he let Ikki in the house. “I mean, you like math way more than any sane person should.”

Kent frowned. “That is not evidence of psychosis. Were you to base such a claim on my pathetic behavior of late, I could probably accept it, but to use math as your foundation for such a thing? That is rather a biased position, without any merit. There is no reason why math is any less appealing than any other interest. Indeed, its worth as a field of study with constants and rationality cannot be discounted. It is difficult to form any true system of values without a constant, and math is one place where these constants can be found easily.”

Toma tried to force a smile. He wasn't sure he'd understood any of that last part Kent said, but at least he wasn't off in some fugue again.

“Forget about your creepy love affair with math. We have more important things to deal with,” Shin said. “That fire earlier could have killed all of us. We now have two other civilians to babysit. We didn't manage to eliminate any suspects—”

“Well, not necessarily,” Toma said. He hadn't actually said anything about it earlier, but he might have crossed Murakami off that list. He saw Shin frowning at him, but before he could explain, the door chimed again.

“That's gotta be Ukyo.”

Kent said nothing, but Ikki moved to let him through the doorway. Toma frowned, not seeing the boy anywhere. He hadn't said anything, but it wouldn't surprise Toma if the kid went looking for his sister. He would have done the same if it was Shin.

“Ah, you're all here,” Ukyo said as he came into the kitchen. “I'm glad.”

“You knew this was where we'd be,” Shin said. “Don't act surprised or anything.”

Ukyo shook his head. “It is not that I am surprised. I am pleased that you are all safe and unharmed. I know we all left the building in time, but we were forced to part ways, and anything could have happened then.”

Shin grunted. Toma knew he didn't want to admit that Ukyo was right. Any one of them could have been a target, and any one of them could have been attacked on their way back to Kent's. Even now, there was no guarantee any of them were safe.

“I have pictures from the scene and the crowd,” Ukyo went on. “Also... Waka informed me that others are aware that you were present at the time of the fire.”

“That is unfortunate,” Kent said, which had Shin snorting again. Toma had to agree. That was an understatement. “The more people who are aware of that fact, the harder it is to be certain of the origin of the threat.”

“You think it is someone within the police department?” Ukyo asked, frowning. “Did you remember something, then?”

“No. I haven't,” Kent said, tense all over again. “I merely think it best not to discount any possibility.”

“We're supposed to be eliminating people now, not adding to the damned list,” Shin almost snapped. “We have that tutor to worry about—”

“I think it best to consider him a lower priority than others,” Kent said. Toma reached over to put a warning hand on Shin's shoulder. His brother brushed him off angrily. “He is... How should I put it? A bully? I believe him the sort to prefer a victim with little to no chance of fighting back.”

Ukyo frowned, looking at Kent in concern. “Is this man someone who—”

“I think we should discuss the other suspects and reassess the current situation to formulate a strategy,” Kent said. “The fire today complicates the matter in so many ways, it is difficult to see clearly, though that may well have been the intention as well.”

“I did speak to the former owner of this house,” Toma said. “He said he wanted to offer you a job.”

Shin stared at him. “What?”

Kent frowned. “Me? A job?”

“So he claimed. He said he wanted you as chief financial officer, and seems to think he still owes you because you and Ikki uncovered that his accountant was embezzling from him.”

“Huh,” Ikki said, shaking his head. “I thought he was just saying that to save face.”

“I did not believe those statements true, either, but he was so insistent upon 'a reward' that I did not know what else to do besides accept the house.” Kent shook his head. “Well, I suppose that is one less possibility to worry about, but it is not an answer, either.”

“The headmaster's still a possibility,” Shin said. “I told you I wasn't able to see him. And none of us bought the tutor's story, either.”

“Well, Ikki can do what Ikki does best and find out if the headmaster has any other property or if he rents anywhere we should look into,” Toma said. “And we can follow up on what you said before about seeing if our guests know about him or anyone else hanging around.”

Shin snorted. “Yeah, that's a great use of our time.”

Toma shrugged. The girls might know more than they were saying. “We should at least get them in the same room as her to see if that helps her remember anything. Seeing Kent helped, and he hasn't been in her life for two years, so imagine what someone who's not a stranger might do.”

“Her brother hasn't brought back much, and supposedly they're very close.”

“That is not entirely accurate,” Kent said, closing his eyes. “She did mention at least one more memory of Orion returning, and as central to her character as her role as caregiver for him is, it likely that most of her memories would involve him in some way, even those that would seem to be of someone or something else. Even the ones you credit to me did seem to involve him to some degree.”

“Whatever. I just don't want to waste an entire evening on them talking about nothing again.”

“You're already feeling it, aren't you?” Toma asked, and Shin frowned at him. “Oh, come on. You never like having to sit still, and we all know that it's not going to be safe for any of us to move around alone until we're sure what's going on. That fire earlier was too close for comfort, and any of us could have been the target.”

“Or you all were,” Kent said. “That is possible, too.”

* * *

“Sawa?”

She looked back at the door, seeing Mine there, her hair loose and wet, wearing a set of clothes that Shin had to have picked out for her because there was no way she'd have chosen something like it herself. That just wasn't cute enough for her—no added ruffles or bows, just a simple sweater and—pants, of all things. Mine never wore pants, favoring skirts.

Toma had been a little kinder to Sawa, letting her choose her own stuff, not that she'd had many options in that store. She didn't mind what she'd gotten, even if it wasn't her usual look. She was comfortable enough, and it was better than being stuck in her uniform.

She had no idea how long they were going to be stuck here, after all.

“I think we'd better go find out what's going on,” Sawa said. “We still haven't seen Kokoa, and while it was kind of nice to know that Kent is actually alive, this whole day has been very strange.”

“And scary,” Mine said, shaking her head. “I mean, I want to be all excited about the hot guys who saved our lives, but... they saved our lives. We could have died.”

Sawa nodded. She joined Mine at the door and walked with her, going back down the stairs. She had a lot of questions, and she thought she could get some answers out of Toma or maybe Ikki. Not Shin, though Ukyo—he might say more, too, though he'd stayed behind at the cafe.

“I never thought that I'd see what inside of this place was like,” Mine said as she looked at the staircase. “It's strange, isn't it? It's so much nicer than I would have thought.”

“It really is,” Sawa said, though she'd only seen the hallways, the one room, and the bathroom so far. Still, it was nicer than most of the houses she'd seen growing up.

She stepped off the bottom stair and followed the voices into another room, one crowded full of men, all the ones from earlier—Ukyo must have gotten here when she was in the shower. The conversation stopped when they walked in, with the guys looking at them like they were some kind of criminals, interrupting like they had.

“Um...” Sawa began. “We were... we wanted to...”

“Planning on hugging Kento again? I wish Ukyo'd been there for that. Pictures of the occasion would have been worth it,” Toma said. “I don't think I've ever seen anyone hug Kent. Not even Ikki when he's completely drunk.”

Sawa flushed. “Uh...”

“You are far from amusing, Toma, and your attempts at humor do not improve our situation any.”

“Agreed,” Ikki said. “I much prefer my snuggling partners to be beautiful young women. They have much nicer curves.”

“Ikkyu,” Kent said in warning, which made Ikki shrug, smiling at Kent like that voice wasn't at all scary—which it was. Kent was a very intimidating man—tall, smart, and mean, only Kokoa was willing to deal with him at the cafe.

“Um, Kent?”

“Yes, Orion?”

He poked his head in the doorway, looking very sheepish. “Um, Neesan's very sorry, but... um... she threw up all over your bed.”

Kent sighed. “That is a rather unfortunate side effect of that medication. Very well.”

He pushed past through everyone, joining Orion in the hall. Sawa watched them, frowning. She hadn't thought Kokoa had ever told Orion about Kent or let them meet, but he almost seemed... comfortable with that man. He'd even been worried about him earlier in the hallway.

“Perhaps our guests would like something to eat or drink?” Ukyo said. “The refrigerator is fully stocked at the moment, with a variety of dishes that are to almost anyone's tastes and quite skillfully made.”

“Um...”

“That's kind of you, I guess,” Sawa said. “I'm not actually hungry or anything right now. I'm more confused than anything else. What is going on? Why did someone burn down the cafe? Does it have anything to do with what happened to Kokoa?”

“What did happen to her?” Mine asked. “I mean... I don't know. Maybe we should just wait until we see her.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Sawa said, looking back at the staircase where Orion and Kent had gone.

* * *

Orion followed after Kent into the bedroom, not really looking forward to facing that smell again. He knew Neesan hadn't meant to, but she'd definitely puked all over herself and the bed, and that was never a good thing. He didn't know how Kent could seem so unaffected by it because it really was gross. It was hard to make himself walk up to the edge of the bed where Neesan had curled up in misery.

“Are you feeling any better?”

She shook her head, making a low noise like a whimper, and he frowned at her.

“Are you... crying?”

She shook her head again. “Of course not. I don't cry in front of you. Ever.”

Orion supposed that was true. Neesan tried really hard not to show it when she was worried or upset or even hurt. She would smile and try and be very brave even if she shouldn't be.

“Or Kent,” Neesan added. “Big meanie.”

Kent frowned, folding his arms over his chest and looking very much like a big meanie as she giggled. “I think it may be safe to assume that the medication has started to affect her.”

Orion nodded. He'd believe that for sure. She had seemed a lot more like herself before he'd had to go upstairs to find help. “Um... I didn't know where anything was to help her clean up.”

“It would seem that they were still unable to gather clothing for her, so I suppose one of my clean garments will have to suffice,” Kent said, crossing toward the dresser across the room. “She can at least have an unsoiled shirt.”

“Yes, this one is gross,” Neesan said, yanking off the one the hospital had given her and dropping it on the floor. Orion stared at her in disbelief.

“What are you doing?”

“I told you. I am—” Kent stopped, going red before turning away. He lifted a hand to his face like he was trying to block out what he'd just seen. “Orion, come get this shirt and give it to your sister to cover herself with.”

“What? I don't want to see that.”

“You are related by blood. It is far less inappropriate for you to see it than it is for me, now come and get the shirt before—”

“I can get it myself. I feel fine.”

“No,” Orion said, rushing over to Kent's side to prevent that. Neesan should not be walking anywhere. She was not fine, not anywhere near it, but she seemed to be too drugged to know any better. “I've got it. Just sit still. I'm bringing it to you.”

She nodded, her eyes on her stomach, pulling at the bandage there like she'd never seen it before, and maybe she hadn't because she might not have looked before and she didn't remember what happened. He hurried back so she didn't end up pulling it off or anything.

“Here. Put it on. Quickly.”

She did, sliding it over her head and yanking it down with a goofy smile. “Hmm. It's soft. And it smells nice. I think I can go back to sleep now.”

“No,” Orion said. “Neesan, the sheets are dirty. You can't go back to bed until we change them.”

“I think it best we move her back upstairs, actually,” Kent said, taking a glance toward them. He seemed relieved she was covered up again, as was Orion, by a lot—no guy should see that, like ever. “I should have done it before, but I was concerned about the stairs, and I didn't want to risk it at the time, but as the others will want to verify her state for themselves and the other floors are more suitable for habitation and this room is now unfit as well, it is better to move her now.”

“Right,” Orion agreed. “That spiral staircase seems kind of dangerous.”

“It will prove quite awkward for this,” Kent said, frowning. He closed his eyes for a second. “Please understand that I do not think it wise for you to walk again, and certainly not on the stairs. That is all this is.”

“Hmm?” She asked, looking up at him right before he picked her up. She flushed. “Oh. That's what that smell is.”

Kent sighed. “There may be some residual odor due to the... incident down here, but that can be cleaned once we have you upstairs again.”

“No, not that,” she said, putting her fingers up to the chain around his neck. “The shirt smells like you, Kent.”

“I...” Kent was so flustered Orion thought he was going to drop her. He shook his head, adjusting his hold and forcing himself forward. “That is merely the effects of the chemicals in the laundry detergent and the fabric in question. We should just consider ourselves fortunate you only soiled your shirt.”

“Yeah,” Orion said, though it was really bad it was the shirt considering what she'd done a second ago. He walked along with them to the stairs, not sure what else to do. He started up first, looking back to be sure Kent would be okay and not bump Neesan into anything.

“Oh,” Neesan said, her voice suddenly very loud. “Ikki will be happy.”

“What?” Orion asked at the same time as Kent. He almost stumbled over the top stair and had to catch himself before tumbling into the hallway. He saw others looking at him and flushed red.

“He said I could use one of your shirts as a dress,” Neesan said, her voice still very loud and kind of giggly. “And I am, so Ikki will be happy.”

Kent winced. “I do not think that is a very accurate assessment of the situation, and it is not as amusing as you currently think it is. Once you have sobered up from the painkillers, you will likely not find this situation at all humorous.”

She stilled, suddenly looking miserable. “I'm so sorry about the bed, Kent. I thought I ate enough for the medication. I really did.”

“It can be difficult to get the ratio of food to medication right,” Kent told her. “I had considerable difficulty with it myself, as I said. It was much better to have too much than too little.”

She nodded, putting her head back down against him. “I'm still sorry. I made a lot of trouble for you. And a big mess. And now you have to carry me...”

“That was because of the stairs. We're going to keep you on a level where you won't need them for the rest of your stay.”

“Like you. All on one level. Very practical. Very Kent.” She patted his chest, a smile on her face. “You're very warm, too. And this shirt is as soft as the shirt you gave me. It's nice, too. Nice, nice Kent.”

Orion heard someone laughing, and then there was a camera flash. Ikki elbowed Ukyo, who reddened, looking embarrassed to be caught or maybe just afraid of the glare Kent was now sending in his direction.

“She is feeling the effects of the medication,” Kent said from where he'd stopped in the doorway to the other room. “This is not amusing at all.”

“It looks adorable,” Sawa said, and Orion frowned at her, not the only one who did. “I mean, she's so small compared to you, Kent, especially when you hold her like that, but she seems happy.”

“I am,” Neesan announced. “I can hold Orion like this and comfort him but no one ever does it for me. And Kent's not... but he is... and it's nice... except I'm worried I'll puke on him and that would be awful and everything is... really, really fuzzy...”

She closed her eyes, snuggling up against Kent, who stared down at her in shock. He shook his head, muttering under his breath as he took her into the couch. He set her down gently, and her head flopped back against the chair.

“Is she...?”

“Unconscious? I believe so, and it is for the best considering how badly the medication was affecting her,” Kent said, stepping back from the couch. “She will not be pleased when she wakes. If at all possible, I think it best not to mention this entire incident to her. She... would certainly never have said that about me without the influence of the drugs.”

“Well, true, she's hardly likely to have let her guard down so easily,” Sawa said, frowning a little, “that much is really true, but I don't think she said anything she didn't mean.”

Kent snorted. “That is absurd. You are well aware of our previous relations and how hostile they were. I would think I would be the last person she'd want to offer her any kind of assistance, certainly not any comfort.”

Kent passed Orion the blanket from the couch. Orion held it up against his chest. He'd never really thought about how it must be for Neesan, who was the grown up and the one all alone, with no one to hold her and tell her it would be okay like she always did for him. He told her that, and they always managed, but... it wasn't the same. No one ever did that for her, held her and made her feel safe. He couldn't, he wasn't big enough yet.

He would, though. He promised her that.

* * *

“I'm going to make sure you're safe and happy all the time, Neesan,” Orion promised his sister, and Kent once again found himself thinking how completely inappropriate it was for him to be here. He did not need to be any part of this. He should go. He would much rather be in his lab, but he also had a mess to clean up in his room.

That took precedence over this, he wanted to believe that.

“You are so adorable,” Mine said, looking like she might snuggle Orion in a rather ridiculous and unpleasant manner if given half the chance.

“I think you're wrong,” Sawa said, and Orion frowned at her. “I know she was actually really grateful for the help you gave her, even if she never told you that.”

It took Kent a minute to realize that was not directed at the child but at him. He frowned, aware that the others were all in the room now, and this conversation might well prove more embarrassing than that last exchange had been.

He already wanted to go shut himself up in the lab and not speak to anyone, as childish as it was. He had to stop this before it went further.

“I didn't help her with—”

“You were the one that told her about that apartment and the school,” Sawa said, “and don't say you weren't because I was the one you gave the folder to when she refused it. You made sure she got it even when she was being way too proud to listen.”

Damn it, Kent had not wanted any of the other men to know about that. They did not need that detail. They had all the information they needed about his interactions with her. They fought, and that was all there was to it.

“And you totally carried her home that day she collapsed at work,” Mine said, making Kent grimace. “I know you were all logical about it, but you could have just called an ambulance instead of doing what you knew she'd do because even with a fever, she'd never go to the hospital. It was too expensive and she wouldn't leave Orion alone for a minute longer than she had to.”

He shook his head. “I was there. It was logical, other than her irrational insistence on not seeing the doctor, which... I merely acquiesced to avoid another argument as I had to return to work.”

“Oh, is Ken being shy?” Ikkyu asked, and Kent glared at him. Ikkyu laughed. “Please. You know I know you have a soft side, much as you don't show it to many people. How long have I known you?”

“Far longer than is necessary, clearly, and I do not think we should waste time on this subject when we have many others to discuss that are of greater importance,” Kent said. “I did nothing that special, though it would seem these women are enjoying making me uncomfortable just as much as you do.”

“Well, it's true nothing much seems to get to you,” Sawa said. “When you first started coming in, you seemed like a real jerk.”

Mine nodded. “You were. You were rude and complained about everything about the service and the food and no one wanted to deal with you.”

“Then Kokoa started serving you, and you were different with her. You were still rude, but she actually told us your logic was interesting. She kept talking to you because she wanted to know more about the weird way you thought, even though that usually meant a fight.”

Kent nodded. That much was true. “Yes, we fought often. That is my point. Kindly stop trying to twist the situation into something it was not.”

“I did think you had kind of a soft spot for her,” Sawa said, and he glared at her. “It's just... you noticed she was feeling sick before we did that day. You asked me to keep an eye on her as you were about to leave—and that was when she fell in the kitchen with Mine who totally panicked.”

Kent sighed. They truly would make this seem like something it was not, and Ikkyu would help them, if he had half a chance. “As much as you seem determined to see these incidents as something other than they were, she told me quite clearly what she thought of me the last time we spoke. She was not at all incoherent or unclear. She hated me and had no desire to see me again, ever. That is all that needs to be said on the subject. She hated me, and she will still hate me when her memories are clear. Now if you will excuse me—”

“That can't be right,” Sawa said. “She never would have said that to you, even if she thought it, and I don't think she did. And if you're talking about that day you came by the cafe and asked to talk to her alone, it wasn't like that at all.”

“We totally asked her about it when she came back inside,” Mine said. “Sawa was all for teasing her, tried to ask her if you'd come by to ask her—”

“I never came by to do anything but eat,” Kent said, not certain why no one would let this go. Such foolishness, but he supposed he should expect it from such frivolous women.

“You didn't eat that day,” Sawa said. “You were in the middle of a trial, so you didn't have time.”

Kent stared at her. “What?”

“Yeah, you went outside, so none of us heard what you said, but... she didn't come back in angry. She wasn't mad.” Mine shrugged. “I asked her if she got you to help her with the move to the new apartment, but she said no. She wasn't upset about it, just said you were too busy with a trial for that and she'd manage because that was what she did.”

Kent frowned. If the three of them had been able to talk prior to this conversation, he would almost have suspected a conspiracy to embarrass him or even just prove Kokoa's point about her memory, but they hadn't spoken. Had they?

“Ken? You look a little... pale, again,” Ikkyu said, implying a lot more with that statement.

“This conversation...” Kent swallowed. “You said... during a trial? You remember this specifically? It was definitely during a trial? Are you absolutely certain of this?”

“Oh, yeah, we definitely remember,” Mine said. “You came in wearing a suit.”

“We always saw you in that jacket of yours, so it stuck with us,” Sawa said. “That, and Mine drooled a little.”

“I did not! If anyone drooled, it was Kokoa. She was speechless when she saw him that day.”

“Kent, there any real point to this?” Shin asked, his arms folded over his chest. “Not that I would have figured you to fish for compliments like this—that's more Ikki or Toma—”

“Hey—”

“—so why are we discussing what a bunch of immature girls thought of you in a suit?” Shin finished, watching him carefully. “I'm sure Ikki and Toma are even enjoying you squirm a little, but all I see is it wasting our time.”

Kent shook his head. No, it was worse than wasting their time. It was highly unsettling to him. “What they describe... is something I have no memory of doing.”

“What?” Shin's annoyance turned to something that Kent almost named concern.

“Is this what you were saying earlier?” Toma asked, frowning. “That's why you think you're—”

“They said gaps in your memory were entirely possible after what happened,” Ikkyu said. “That doesn't make it a crisis situation.”

“If it was something that had occurred within the day of the bombing, it would be less troubling,” Kent told him. “As it is... She spoke of this memory earlier, yes. Supposedly, when I went there, I wanted to arrange a time and place to discuss a favor she'd asked me for. That is where the true problem lies, aside from the fact that I would never have left the courthouse during a trial—”

“True, that's not like you at all,” Ikkyu agreed. “I have never managed to convince you to do that, and I've tried. Every trial, I try, and I leave, but you never do.”

“Exactly, but aside from that, and even in addition to the fact that she would never have asked me for a favor—she hated me—and she was never one to accept help from anyone, not that I saw—I have no memory of ever being asked for the favor.”

“Damn,” Shin said. “You're sure about that?”

Kent nodded. “As sure as I can be. I... I feel certain if she had ever asked for such a thing, it would have... it would not have gone unnoticed by her friends or been easily forgotten.”

“Yeah, I hate to say it, but Kokoa didn't let anyone do her favors,” Sawa said, unhappy with the admission. “She's kind and sweet and gives you the shirt off her back, but if you ever tried to do the same, she'd refuse and just about take your head off. If she'd done it anytime we were around, we'd have definitely noticed.”

Mine nodded. “And we didn't even have to eavesdrop or anything. They were almost always loud. They almost always fought.”

“And she has no memory of what the favor was she asked of you,” Toma said. “Does she?”

“She asked me what it was, but I told you—I have no memory of it. Whatever it was... I want to say she never asked it of me, but it would seem that's not the case, and yet for me to not remember makes no sense, either. I don't...”

“Ken?”

_Kent did not have to be an expert in medical science to be aware that the damage to his leg was extensive. Even a layman looking at the slab pinning him in place could tell that much. The pain said the rest. He swore he'd blacked out for a moment at the intensity of it, and it seemed to be growing worse as the weight pressed down on him._

_His mother whimpered, and he looked back at her, seeing something he'd only seen one other time in her eyes, a look he never wanted to see again—fear._

_“Mother,” he said, “stay calm. It'll be fine. The initial damage is done... we... just have to wait a bit. Emergency crews will likely already be... oh. I have my phone.”_

_He reached into his pocket, taking it out. He winced, seeing the message he'd sent to Ikkyu still up on the screen. He was such an idiot. He was never telling Ikkyu what that was about, not if he could help it. He'd have to figure out a likely story later, one that did not involve foolish emotions that Kent had no business feeling or even suspecting he felt._

_He started to dial the emergency number when a heavy weight came down on his arm, making him cry out. He could only watch as a dark boot moved from his arm to crush the phone, someone else's weight pushing him down against the rubble._

_“You should have left it alone. If you'd left it alone, she wouldn't have to die, but you didn't, and now you've killed her.”_

_Kent shook his head. “No. Whatever I did—I didn't—I don't even know who you are. You don't have to do this. Let her go.”_

_The man's voice moved up right to his ear, and Kent tried desperately to place it. It didn't sound like any of the yakuza who'd called or come by with threats, not anyone he remembered angering before, but he could hear the malice in this voice, the hatred clear in every syllable. “You think you're so smart, but you're not. You're not special. You thought you were lucky, but you were wrong. She dies, and you... you suffer.”_

_Kent tried to shield his mother, but even as the weight lessened slightly, he couldn't move, and a searing pain tore into him as the flame touched his back._

* * *

“Ken?” Ikki asked, frowning. This didn't look like one of those Ken mid-thought moments that were either amusing or annoying but generally brilliant. This looked a lot more like the worst kind of Ken's fugues, where he wouldn't know where he was and ended up a weeping mess on the floor—and that was the good version, the bad was more self-destructive.

“Come on,” Toma said, reaching over to take hold of Ken's arm. “Whatever this new theory is, you can tell us in the kitchen while you make us some coffee or something.”

Ikki knew that most of the time, that would have worked fine, and it would have been a good call because there was likely something in Kent's theory the others shouldn't hear, but this was not one of those times.

Ken pulled away from Toma, stumbling over the table and falling. That would definitely bruise tomorrow. “Don't touch me. Don't...”

“Oh, hell, now? This is a really bad time for a panic attack,” Shin grumbled, shaking his head. The women looked confused, but Orion looked worried, showing enough pity that Ken would have hated it if he was aware of what was going on.

Instead, he scrambled away from Toma, crawling for the door. Ikki winced and went after him, pushing past Ukyo to be the one who got there first. He caught Ken in the hall, the other man fighting him to get free.

“Don't touch me... get off... of me... get... let...”

“Ken, listen to me. It's me. It's me, Ken, look at me. It's Ikki,” he said, trying to get Ken to hear him. He sighed. “It's Ikkyu. Look at me, Ken. Just... look. Listen. I'm here. And wherever you think you are, you're not. You're in your hallway. You're surrounded by the team, and you're safe, okay? You're safe. No one's going to touch you or hurt you. You just need to calm down and look at me.”

Ken was breathing so hard he was hyperventilating, but Ikki just kept on talking. He had to get Ken to calm down enough to see reality, and he only knew one way to do that besides shoving the pills in Ken's mouth, and he wasn't doing that yet, not if he didn't have to.

Ken's eyes stopped darting around wildly, and after a gasping breath, he seemed to see Ikki for a change. “Ikkyu?”

“I'm here.”

Ken shuddered, leaning into Ikki's shoulder. “He burned my back.”

“What?”

“Ikki, has he ever said anything like this before?”

“No,” Ikki admitted. Ken had to mean the bombing. The way they figured it, Ken getting stuck like he did with his mom—he was helpless when the fire came, and he'd done his best to shield her, so he got burned pretty bad on his back and his arms, so that fit with what they knew.

And it didn't, all the same.

“Then what did he say?” Shin asked, and Ikki turned back to glare at him. “Come on. You're the only one who's seen him like this before, right? Is this what it's like every time?”

“No,” Ukyo said, and Ikki frowned at him. “I can tell from your face this is different, Ikki. You are very worried, and it shows.”

Ken kept shaking, and Ikki reluctantly pulled out the pill bottle. He opened it and shook out two pills. He held onto them as he put the bottle back away. He sighed and readied himself. This really was the only way, wasn't it? He started to give Ken the pills when his friend spoke.

“He burned my back,” Ken repeated hoarsely, and Ikki didn't like where his mind was going with this at all. “He... he said it... I killed her... and... he burned my back.”

“Shit,” Shin said.

“Someone else was there?” Toma asked. “Someone... did that to him? That... didn't just happen in the fire?”

Ikki frowned. They'd always assumed so, but now, looking at Ken, he was no longer sure.

“He killed her... right in front of me... there was nothing... I could do.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kent's memory might change everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost thought my way of leading up to this next revelation had ruined everything again. I tried to work on a crossover instead, and then I remembered all the reasons why I shouldn't write it and saw some criticism of my favorite character and was... disheartened, but I decided I wanted to make sure I finished this, so I worked hard to bring it back to this point and set up the revelation I've been trying to get to for so long now.

* * *

Shin thought he heard Ukyo's camera button again, and he thought about breaking the damned thing. While some pretentious jerk would probably want to call a photo of Ikki comforting Kent a piece of art, especially done up in black and white like those things always were, this wasn't meant to be someone's decoration on a wall. It shouldn't even be happening. Kent was supposed to be the emotionless robot, not the mess in front of them.

And if someone had been there that night, had actually tortured Kent while he was pinned down in that wreckage, if that bastard had killed his mom and put those scars on his back, that changed everything.

If that was one of the yakuza men that went missing, he might have gotten off easy in death. The leader certainly had, no matter how much pain that other prisoner had made him feel before he died.

“Kent, are you sure someone else was there that night?” Toma asked, somehow keeping his own fury out of his voice and staying gentle.

Kent didn't answer. Or if he did, it was into Ikki's shirt and completely muffled.

“Okay, Ken,” Ikki said, nudging Kent's head up. “I've got these for you. Go ahead and take them for me. Just take them. I think it's better if you do.”

Kent eyed the pills, and Shin realized his glasses were missing somewhere. What the hell had happened to them and when? “No.”

“Kent?” Orion asked, coming closer to the rest of them. “Are you okay? What happened?”

Kent leaned back against the wall, running a hand through his hair. “Suffice to say that I have a greater understanding of your sister's insistence on keeping certain information from you as my brain has apparently decided to do the same to me.”

“What?”

Orion wasn't the only one confused. How the hell did Kent go from babbling mess to talking dictionary that fast? That had to be an act.

Kent pulled his legs up against his chest. “I... forgot something important. It... it is rather a private matter, though so if you could... excuse us...”

“You really don't look okay,” Orion said. “You're still shaking.”

Shin nudged Toma, who frowned at him, but if he wanted to protect someone, it may as well be Kent, who was probably going to fall apart again any second if the kid kept pushing or the women came out to see what was going on.

“We will handle this,” Ikki told him. “You just keep an eye on that cute sister of yours.”

Orion rolled his eyes, but Ukyo moved to escort him back into the other room. “You asked earlier if that story was true, and I said I had pictures. Would you like to see them? There's even one of Ikki snuggling that Pikachu.”

“Liar! That was Toma,” Ikki said, getting a glare from Toma and laughter from Ukyo and Orion.

Shin looked back at Kent, who was still trying to compose himself. “Come on. Let's get out of the damned hallway.”

Kent shook his head. “I cannot currently move on my own, and I do not want anyone's assistance. I... that... I now understand more this... extreme aversion to being touched when in such a state, but... that does not make it any easier to bear or even... think about.”

He put his head against the wall and closed his eyes. Ikki settled himself next to Kent, careful not to touch him as he did.

“This isn't that unfamiliar.”

“If you now wish to equate this time to when you locked us out of your hotel suite and failed to inform me that I was drinking highly alcoholic beverages even when I asked about the altered taste, I see through your attempt at distraction,” Kent said, not looking at him. “Though I fear I was just as miserable then as I am now.”

“I was impressed,” Ikki said. “Still am. I think you should hold some kind of record for how many of them you were able to drink before it hit you like a truck. It was annoying at first, I'd expected the know-it-all tutor to have passed out with the first one, being all inexperienced, but you were coherent until I figured out I didn't have my key.”

“Hmm. That explains why you were having me do calculations in my head you couldn't do on paper at that point.”

Ikki grinned. Shin supposed this was better than seeing Kent coming apart on the floor, but it wasn't that useful, either. They couldn't spend the entire night calming Kent back down to ask him, either.

“You know, Ikki,” Toma said. “I think you're the reason Kent's never willing to go drink with us even after we solve a case.”

Ikki shrugged. “Maybe. And that is a pity as Ken is hilarious when he's drunk.”

“I am not that amusing. Ever.”

“Of course you are,” Ikki said, but his smile this time seemed a little forced. Shin frowned, wondering if that meant Ikki could tell Kent was on his way back into one of those fugues again or something. “Not always intentionally, but then again, not everyone has my sense of comedic timing.”

“I think I have sufficiently distracted everyone with our greatest hits,” Ukyo said as he came back into the hallway, sliding the door shut behind him. “I started with the Pikachu pictures, which of course made everyone curious, and that led to the slideshow I made for our second awards ceremony—”

“We're all going to kill you later,” Shin told him, well aware of what was on that slideshow.

“We're at least breaking the camera,” Toma said, shaking his head. He raised his voice. “That Pikachu picture was photoshopped.”

Shin shook his head. “You're an idiot, Toma.”

Ukyo smiled faintly before looking back at Kent. “Your color is a bit better now.”

“And if that meant anything, I would not still be sitting here.”

“Oh, just pretend you're waiting for Waka,” Ikki said. “No point in leaving the hallway until he shows himself, right?”

Toma frowned. “You know saying that's going to make him show up, right?”

Shin snorted. “He should have already been here by now.”

“There was something I wanted to ask,” Ukyo said, giving Kent another glance. “About earlier, at the fire... was I the only one who heard laughter?”

Shin shook his head, aware of Ikki and Toma doing the same.

“Then we all heard it,” Ukyo said, frowning. “I still don't understand how they could laugh at seeing such destruction. I admit that sometimes I see a sort of strange beauty in fire when I catch it on film. It is wild and untamed, extremely powerful, and yet... It can be a source of warmth and comfort. It is a force for good as well as bad. In nature, it is even cleansing, a source of renewal even as it destroys.”

“This creep is not about renewal,” Shin said. “He's killing as some kind of sick taunt.”

“Is he?” Ukyo asked, frowning, and everyone glared at him. “It's just... Waka said something about the initial fires. That... this killer wanted to keep the identities of his victims unknown.”

Shin frowned. Waka would pick up on something like that, and since they hadn't identified most of the victims yet, it fit, but at the same time, it didn't. “If this guy is after revenge, why bother? The whole point would be to let us know what he was up to, like the card they left on that girl. That was meant to bait Kent, right?”

“Or perhaps to mislead us,” Kent said, frowning. “Admittedly, it seems difficult to believe in light of what I recently remembered, and I have not examined the initial fires closely—I was both unwilling and unable to do so, but if this person was acting to obscure the victims, if that was his goal—”

“I don't need you to rattle off any statistics,” Toma said, and Shin wasn't sure if he'd interrupted to keep Kent from going off the deep end or not. “We all know that most of the time when someone does that, it's because they're trying to hide their guilt. They want to get away with it, and making the victim unidentifiable buys them time.”

“So, wait, do we have two different motives here?” Ikki asked, frowning. “One that wants to cover up what he did—and one that wants revenge?”

“Like a split personality?” Ukyo asked, troubled. “Or are you talking about two different killers?”

“Not necessarily,” Kent said, wrapping his arms around himself as he fought a shudder. “It may only be an escalation. This killer combines sadistic torture with a sense of theatrics. The victims were all dead before the fire and posed, correct? Then... he has perhaps been building towards an even greater spectacle wherein his intended revenge will be complete with those he targeted dead.”

Toma grimaced. Ikki looked like he was about to pull Kent into a hug and barely stopped himself. Ukyo's eyes were watery. Shin just wanted to hit something.

“It's not happening,” Shin said. “This guy doesn't get a damned spectacle. We're going to stop him and make him pay for all of this.”

“You are optimistic. It doesn't suit you.”

“And yet you are not always a complete pessimist,” Waka said as he entered the house. “There is a difference between pessimism and pragmatism, after all.”

Kent shook his head. “Though that voice—it seemed to be a man's voice though I did not recognize it at all—told me I brought this on by refusing to leave 'it' alone, I have no idea what 'it' was. I cannot give a reason for this, and if I have no reason for it... we cannot assume that we will find this person, and the likelihood of that event happening before he kills again... that percentage is too low a possibility to mention. It is more... impossible.”

“Wait,” Toma said. “The bombing at your house... are you saying that wasn't the yakuza at all? That it was... someone else?”

* * *

“The yakuza took responsibility for it,” Ukyo said, frowning, looking around at the others for confirmation. “They did, didn't they? It wasn't something you all believed blindly—several arrests were made and convictions, too. They did do this to Kent, didn't they?”

“The guy was shouting it from the rooftops,” Ikki said. The press had actually let that guy do an interview, and it was all over the place—on television and on the internet. It was big news for a while. “He wasn't the only one who said it, either. Almost everyone in that family said they did it.”

“As memory serves, some denied it,” Waka said, making Ikki want to shudder, “and those particular members are still alive and free.”

“Responsibility is not the same as guilt,” Ken said, his eyes shut. “He was already in prison. It was done on his orders, we assumed, but he was not physically responsible for any part of the bomb itself.”

Toma winced. “Almost all of the people I spoke to admitted to being part of the actual team that set the bomb, and their stories were all consistent.”

Shin nodded. “We knew that someone in the family had done it because of the details they all had, but since they all said the same thing, we couldn't pin it on one person. It was about the only smart thing they did, using the same story to confuse us.”

“That was half the reason we kept after them until they were all in prison,” Ikki said, remembering just how much he'd wanted the person who'd done that to Ken and his parents. He'd broken a hand on someone's jaw and not even cared. That was nothing compared to the anger and frustration of being unable to find the one who planted the bomb. Getting them all—or as close to it as possible—was the only satisfaction they had in that mess.

“It did seem to be enough, almost, that they were imprisoned,” Ukyo agreed, though he seemed troubled now. “Did we stop too soon, then? Is one of the surviving members doing this?”

“I think the more unsettling prospect is that it was not one of them at all,” Ken whispered, his voice so quiet that Ikki could barely hear him next to him.

“Damn it,” Shin said. “Tell me we did not waste months on those bastards only to let this one free to start freakshow fires and who knows what the hell else?”

“No. No way,” Toma said. “They knew too much about what happened, the layout of Kent's parents' house, where the bomb was set, the composition of the bomb itself. We didn't release any of that information to the press, and even if we did, they had that information before the press had any more information than 'bomb went off at prominent lawyer's house.'”

“That's true,” Ukyo said. “The reporting on it was really inaccurate. That's why there are so many rumors about Kent dying in the explosion.”

Ikki looked at Waka. “Is it? You could have directed the press any way you wanted—did you want the rest of the world thinking Ken was dead?”

“Seriously?” Shin asked, frowning. “If you knew that this was coming—”

“The threats were made,” Ken said. “It was not just Waka who ignored them. None of us believed they were any more than idle talk. Posturing as that family often did.”

Ikki winced. He still felt guilty about it, laughing at the messages they were leaving on Ken's phone. They'd seemed stupid, not real. They'd all felt that way. Ken had only changed his phone number because it was impossible for him to get any work done, not because he felt threatened. He had changed his routine, but that was because the harassment was an 'unnecessary delay.' 

And Ikki sure as hell wouldn't have gone out with some woman, no matter how beautiful, if he'd thought Ken was in real danger back then.

“That changed, though,” Ikki said, turning back to Waka. “Once the attack came, you were paranoid about it, right? You had a protective detail on him when he was still in the rehab center, and that was months after the bombing. Did you know? Did you let us think it was over when it wasn't?”

Waka studied him. “Why would I allow any of you to quit if I believed the threat had not been eliminated?”

Ikki didn't know. It wasn't like Waka, but then this happening without Waka's notice was almost impossible. Waka knew all. Very rarely did anyone surprise him, and the one time the team had pulled it off—it was because of Ken. He'd managed to make a plan that obscured their true mission, tasks that were what they needed to pull off a surprise party but that looked like they were doing normal parts of their job or things they'd do anyway. Really, the only one of them that could possibly have kept something from Waka was Ken.

But why would Ken keep something like this to himself?

He wouldn't. Even as much as the bombing had changed him, had broken down the walls he used on his emotions and let them loose in ways that Ken could not cope with, not when he'd never shown much emotion before, all of it bottled up to a dangerous level, Ken had never lost that connection he had to logic and reason. Hell, that was all that got him through the days when tears or destructive rages got the better of him. The routines, the small things, the constancy of math... Ken clung to that like a life preserver, and no amount of logic would say it was sane to keep a giant threat like this to himself.

True, he'd apparently managed to bury it, but the doctors had said that was possible, and it might not even have been a reaction to trauma but to the physical wounds he'd suffered, as he hadn't actually been breathing when they dragged him out of there.

Ikki closed his eyes, trying to banish that image from his head. He didn't want to think about seeing Ken like that, or the miserable hours in the waiting room without word, already knowing that Ken's parents were both gone.

“I should have been there, Ken. That night... I should have been there.”

Ken shook his head. “No.”

Ikki knew he'd never believe that. “The date was terrible. She lied about being interested in the stuff I was into just to go out with me, and she was boring as hell, and I... if I'd been there—”

“What, so he could have killed you, too, Ikkyu?” Ken asked and then lowered his head. “If it is true what he said... Then it was, in fact, my actions that led to all of this... if he killed her because of my interference... then I do not doubt he would have made sure you died as well. I... I could not have lost you as well.”

Ikki sighed. He couldn't deny that he could have died, but if he'd been there with Ken, maybe it would have been different. No, he knew it would have been. He'd played it out enough in his head to be sure of it. They'd have stayed around the table longer, talking and if Ikki'd been able to win the argument, drinking sake because Ken's parents were even funnier than he was when they were tipsy—and neither of them handled liquor half as well. So none of them would have been in the kitchen when the bomb went off.

That would have given Ken's dad a fighting chance if nothing else, but even if Ikki had left with Ken when he did, then he'd have gone back in with Ken, and his friend might not have been trapped. His mom might have lived.

Ikki should have been there. He knew it. He _knew._

* * *

The friendship between Ikki and Kent was a beautiful one, Ukyo could not help thinking once again. He had always envied it, as close as it was, as he was not close to anyone like they were. Their shared interests and strange senses of humor made them bond, but it was how they supported each other that showed the depth of that connection. They had made each other family, with shared joys and pain, memories others could only appreciate from a distance in stories.

Now, they both held onto guilt over that night and their loss.

“An assassin,” Kent said, startling Ikki out of where his thoughts had taken him. “If they hired one or... or if this man offered his services... they'd have the details they needed... and he would have a scapegoat. He probably didn't even charge them for it.”

Ukyo thought he heard everyone except perhaps Waka curse at that statement.

“That would fit,” Waka said. “In fact, I remember a similar case—several, in fact, but most of them did not involve bombings. A few fires, yes. That almost makes me nostalgic.”

“Nostalgic?” Toma asked, frowning.

“That's creepy, even for you,” Shin said. “Why would you feel nostalgic about that?”

Waka turned to Kent, who shifted his position, rubbing his neck as he leaned his head back to look at the ceiling. “I see you remember.”

Kent nodded, closing his eyes again. “I had refused your offer to work in the lab as it was full of idiots incapable of running basic tests or seeing obvious patterns. You had given me a sample case of apparently random arson. Only it was a test for idiots, as the connection was readily apparent with a simple application of Rossmo's formula, and hardly worth the time it took to input the data into the equation.”

Shin shook his head. “Only you know that because only you even know what that is.” 

“Geographic profiling,” Ikki said, sounding a bit annoyed, probably because they'd forgotten that he knew a lot about math, too. “It's a common enough practice in serial cases, enough to where I know you've all used the program that does it for you.”

“What is impressive about Kent is not that he knew what it was but rather that he could do that calculation in his head,” Waka said, a touch of pride in his voice. Ukyo had known that Kent was one of the first members pulled onto the task force—he'd been the last—but he hadn't realized Waka hired Kent personally. “A fact you all were aware of but gave little thought to its everyday application, such as when he gave you locations to canvas.”

“Right. We do tend to just accept that there's some math reason for that and do what he says,” Toma said. “Though... you're not actually suggesting that Kent's first case is the reason all this started...?”

Ukyo did not think it could have been that. That could not be right. Kent would have remembered that, he felt sure of that, but much of the man's recent agony was focused on how he could not say why this was happening.

Waka shook his head. “An arrest had already been made by the time I gave Kent that file to view, and those crimes far less serious than this. Do you not believe that were the connection so obvious that neither of us would have mentioned it before?”

Shin grunted. “Well, you have kept stuff from us before, but if you were doing it now... Not only is it dumb, but we'd probably all quit.”

“With a few broken hands,” Toma said, and Ikki couldn't disagree. Stupid or not, he'd take a swing at Waka himself for holding something like this back. “Since we all could have died earlier in that fire. We still don't know what this is about, if only one person was the target or we all were. Is this just because we work with Kent or what?”

“I think the answer to your question is obvious, Toma,” Kent said as he forced himself up to his feet. He went to the door and slid it open. “I take it you heard all of that?”

* * *

Orion knew that as calm as Kent seemed now, he was really, really angry when he opened the door. He took a step back, wishing he had somewhere to run, but there wasn't anywhere to go with Kent blocking the door like that. 

He swallowed, looking at Sawa and Mine, but they were no help. Neesan, of course, was still asleep on the couch, and she was innocent, since she hadn't eavesdropped, not like them.

“It was kind of hard not to,” Orion said, though he almost couldn't continue when he saw the really scary guy behind Kent. He'd heard his voice, but Waka was more intimidating in person. That look. He could like... freeze and kill enemies with that look, Orion swore he could. “Your voices were coming through the door, mostly, and... the slideshow was over... and... I was actually still worried about you.”

Kent frowned at him. “I am of no concern to you as a person. Be as angry as you like, but stop pretending at pity. I do not care for it.”

Sawa put her hands on Orion's shoulders. “Orion wouldn't do that. And... that... it wasn't like you, what happened earlier. I mean, we've seen you be kind of... angry, but mostly you're so calm it's annoying because you're calm and smug and—but you weren't the angry math ogre. You were... sad.”

“Yeah, what happened to your parents is really sad,” Mine said. “And we didn't get to say that earlier, but... no one deserves that.”

“Some people might, given the nature of their crimes,” Waka said, and Mine stared at him, mouth hanging open until Sawa elbowed her. “Sit.”

Both of them started to sit, making Toma laugh as he entered the room.

“He didn't mean on the floor, ladies,” Ikki said, sounding a lot better than he had not that long ago. Orion was worried about him, too. “Though I see he's still as intimidating as ever.”

Waka gave him a look, and Ikki shrugged. Shin shook his head, coming in and taking his spot against the wall. Sawa and Mine went back to their chairs, sitting down without another word, still kind of awestruck by Waka.

Orion tried not to laugh, sitting back down next to Neesan. Her eyes were closed, but he thought he saw her twitch in her sleep. He adjusted the blanket over her.

“So I'm not sure if Kent mentioned it or not, but our victim worked at the cafe that Kent used to eat lunch at all the time before the trial,” Toma began, and Waka gave him a look. “And so did these two, which is why we were at the cafe earlier when it burned down.”

“Yes.”

“Kent told you that. Right. Of course he did.”

“No, I didn't,” Kent said, folding his arms over his chest. “Nor was it at all necessary to do so.”

That made Waka smile, but his smile was still a bit scary. “I was already aware of Kent's connection to that cafe and its staff.”

Orion frowned. Did this guy spy on people or what? “You were?”

“A true captain is aware of his detectives at all times,” Waka said. “Kent's routine was predictable for a long time.”

“You make that sound like a bad thing,” Sawa said, and then his eyes went to her. She flinched, looking like she wanted to hide behind Mine. “Um... Sorry. I didn't mean to... I shouldn't have said... It was nothing... really.”

Toma shrugged. “It could be. A routine like Kent used to have could get someone doing my job or Shin's killed.”

“What?” Orion asked, eyes wide. Shin's job was that dangerous? And Toma too? “Killed?”

“We work undercover most of the time,” Shin said, glaring at Toma. “Which he didn't need to mention.”

Toma shrugged. “Just saying... if we had a favorite restaurant, like Kent did, we couldn't go to it if it wasn't the sort of place our cover identity would go. Getting recognized and doing stuff that doesn't fit with who we're pretending to be, that's dangerous. It rarely happens. Shin and I are very good at what we do.”

“Yeah, but Kent's just a math guy,” Mine said. “Right?”

“Actually, I think she told us that Kent worked in a lab,” Sawa said, frowning again. “But they're all police, right? Wait—Kent the math ogre is a policeman?”

Kent narrowed his eyes at her. “Math ogre?”

That wasn't the first time she'd called him that, either, and while Orion almost thought it was funny he knew Kent didn't think so.

“Kent's job was different,” Shin said, shaking his head. “He doesn't do undercover work.”

“Couldn't, unless it was at a nerd convention, he'd never pull it off,” Toma added, “and even then, he'd have started a fight over the lack of logic in some popular show and get us kicked out.”

Orion frowned, but he saw Waka smile and Ikki trying not to laugh. “That actually happened?”

Shin elbowed Toma. “So what if it did? You're getting off topic again.”

“The point is, Kent didn't have the same risks as some of the rest of us,” Toma said. “There wasn't any real reason why the routine was bad until he started getting more and more attention as a forensics expert.”

“Curious,” Kent said. “You almost suggest I knowingly put them all at risk by the routine I chose.”

Toma frowned. “No, that's not it at all. Don't take that the wrong way. You had every right to go eat in a restaurant, okay? That's not a crime. What you did wasn't wrong. You had no way of knowing that this was going to happen and this killer would target anyone from there.”

Kent shook his head. “Whatever this man's reasons, whatever I did that made him hate me so much... it is because of me. My choices. Something I did led to this. My parents' death. The attack on you today. It's because of me.”

“No, it's my fault,” another voice said, and Orion turned to his sister in disbelief. Wasn't Neesan asleep? And how could this possibly be her fault? 

“No, even if you were being stalked and you did ask him for help, it's not your fault,” Orion insisted. “Neesan, it's not your fault.”

She gave him a sad smile, shaking her head and facing Kent again. “I'm so sorry, Kent.”

“I don't—” 

“I should never have asked you to look into what happened to my parents.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What she remembered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This got... long. I knew where it began and where it ended, but then all these things came up along the way that said they belonged on the path to the end, and maybe they did, maybe they didn't, but it did end up... long...
> 
> And parts of it are difficult, too, with mentions of cases and fires and other unpleasant subjects.

* * *

_Her head was so fuzzy she could barely think, and she didn't really feel like she could lift it. She wasn't sure she could lift a pinky, she was so heavy and tired. Everything seemed to weigh her down so badly she was going to fall right through her bed._

_Wait. Her bed? She didn't have a bed. She had the couch. Orion had the bed._

_Only this felt a lot like where she was used to sleeping._

_She forced herself to move with a groan, trying to sit up despite how strange she felt._

_“I would advise against moving,” a voice said, startling her, and she blinked over and over even when she saw Kent sitting there. What was he doing in her apartment? She was sure, even as fuzzy as her head was and as many times as she'd actually walked with him to her home, she'd never let him inside before, and why would she? He might be a policeman—that was still so strange to believe, even now that he'd shared some details of his cases with her—but that didn't mean she'd let him in. “You have a rather high fever at the moment, though it has gone down since your collapse.”_

_“Kent?”_

_He nodded. “Your friends at work were too panicked to be of any use to you, and while you should probably have seen a medical doctor, your fever was likely caused by your brother's illness and as he had been prescribed only bed rest and an over the counter, it was unlikely that they would tell you any different. Rather than add to your financial worries which prompted you to work in your condition by taking you to the doctor or calling an ambulance, I brought you here.”_

_She put a hand to her head. “You brought me here?”_

_“Your friend Sawa, while apparently quite athletic, was not strong enough to manage on her own, nor would Mine have been much use. Your manager was not working. I was a logical option.”_

_“Oh.” Just logic, then. That figured. Still, she couldn't help her embarrassment. She tried hard to keep Sawa and Mine from knowing that Orion had the only bedroom and she had the couch, but Kent had to know now, and she was ashamed._

_“Your brother is sleeping peacefully,” Kent said. “At one point, he did rise, tell you he was glad you were home but he was still very tired so he was going back to bed. He was apparently unaware of my presence, which I suppose is for the best, though he seems far too trusting.”_

_“Don't say that like there's always strange men in the house,” she said, offended. “There never is. And I never asked you here.”_

_Kent nodded. “That is true. I had not intended to remain, but as your brother was incapable of caring for you and you had yet to wake, I thought it best to wait until your fever broke or one of your friends could care for you.”_

_She looked around the room. No light was coming in from the windows. The sun had already set. Sawa and Mine would have been off of work by now, but she would never have asked them to come. Did he know that? Was that the real reason why he'd stayed?_

_“I... You're busy. You have work. You shouldn't have stayed.”_

_He held up a small tablet computer. “I have not been idle. Since I have been out of the lab more than in it of late, much of what I do can be done remotely, and what cannot will wait until later.”_

_“Oh.” She supposed that was like Kent, too. She sat up all the way and put her feet over the edge of the couch. She could do this. She was going to check on Orion, and that would prove to Kent she was fine and he could leave._

_She got dizzy as soon as she stood up, and she wavered, but she refused to sit back down and let him win. She took a couple steps, aware of him watching her._

_She used the wall to help her along once she reached the hall, going to Orion's room and opening the door. Kent hadn't been lying. Orion was asleep, his books scattered across his bed, all his favorites, including all the ones based on Ikki's television show._

_“I told you he was sleeping,” Kent said, coming to stand next to her. “Even when I opened the door and checked his temperature earlier, he did not react. As I said, far too trusting.”_

_She frowned. “What is wrong with you? He should be able to trust in his own home. He's just sick, so he didn't wake up, or if he did, he assumed it was me taking his temperature. I've been doing it a lot lately. That's all. Don't make it something awful.”_

_“That was not my intention.”_

_She snorted. “You think everyone should be prepared for the worst, that people can't be trusted because we're not like math, because emotions are something you don't understand, but there's kindness and goodness in the world, too, and he is... he's all of that and more.”_

_Kent's eyes went to Orion. “He is a child, and they possess a certain innocence toward the world that adults have been forced to abandon.”_

_“He would still be sweet and kind even as an adult,” she insisted. “He's not someone to get all bitter and twisted up, that's not him. Not even the worst could make him do that.”_

_“I think your assumption may be premature. You do not know how any particular incident in life can alter its course or end it forever.”_

_She shuddered, turning away from the door, needing to get away from Kent again. How dare he say that about Orion? She moved too quickly and lost her balance, and Kent caught her, his hand on her waist making her feel like she was on fire, and that wasn't the fever. Oh, this was so embarrassing. She didn't usually need help like this._

_Kent helped her back to the couch. “That was quite foolish of you.”_

_“I had to see for myself. He's... all I have left, and you're wrong about him,” she said, angry. “I'm going to do all I can to protect him. He doesn't have to see all that bad or worry. He can just be a little boy. That's all he has to be.”_

_“Unlike you.”_

_She frowned. “What is that supposed to mean? I am not a child nor am I—”_

_“You gave up your childhood and your ambitions to raise him, did you not?” Kent asked. “That may explain your unreasonable desire to ensure that he keep his for as long as possible, but the basic fact of life is that we learn and we age and we die. Childhood is not meant to last forever.”_

_She glared at him. “I know that. And when my brother is old enough, he'll let go of a lot of those childish things and... and I will tell him about our parents and everything else, but that's not something he has to worry about now.”_

_Kent frowned. “Your parents?”_

_She flushed. “That's none of your concern. You can go at any time. I'm fine now.”_

_He hesitated, and she was sure an argument was coming, maybe even a full blown lecture. He always had so much to tell her about what she was doing wrong, and that hadn't changed._

_“I do not much like the weakness you just displayed, but if you are that determined and... if you give me your word you will call someone else to assist you, I will leave,” he said. “I... At this point, I feel it irresponsible, but if I could be assured that you will not fall again or at least not be alone if you did—and your brother is not enough, he is ill himself and far too small—then I would go. As it is, even in the face of your contempt for me, I feel obligated to to remain.”_

_She hadn't expected that from him, though maybe she should have. It wasn't like she hadn't seen that Kent had some decent sides to him—walking her home so she wasn't alone in the dark, making a few comments to other customers who'd treated her rudely, and even the excuses he sometimes gave her when his tips were higher right around when she was worried about money—that had been almost obvious and yet was so sweet she'd never dared call him on it, especially not when her pride was wounded about him figuring out she needed more money. She'd wanted to refuse, but she couldn't, so she let him have those excuses, for both of them._

_She nodded. “If I can find my phone, I'll call Sawa.”_

_She had no intention of asking her friend to stay, of course. That would never happen._

_Kent grabbed her bag from the hat stand and brought it to her side, placing it next to her. She opened it up and started looking for the phone. She dumped the bag out and sorted through it again, fear overcoming her. “It's not here. Where is it? It's not here.”_

_“It's too soon to panic. It may be in your locker at work,” Kent said. “All your friend did was pass along the bag. Your keys were on top which made it possible to use them to open the door without examining everything within the bag, so I did not realize it was not present.”_

_“Oh.” That would be a relief, if it was just at work. She really couldn't afford to replace it right now. She'd been putting aside a little to buy Orion a phone, but they still couldn't manage that yet, since she wasn't sure how she'd add the service to the bills they currently had._

_“Here,” Kent said, passing her his phone. “Call her.”_

_“I don't know Sawa's number,” she admitted, since she'd never memorized it. Having it in the phone was enough for her, and she'd just ask Sawa if she needed it again._

_Kent frowned. “I think you should consider having a paper backup of any important numbers in your life. Such a thing is only prudent. Many accidents can happen to phones, and if you are not good with numbers, which I suspect you're not, a written document seems only wise.”_

_She sighed. “It's never mattered before.”_

_“You should have that as well as contact information for anyone who should have care over you or your brother in an emergency,” Kent insisted. She glared at him, but he just reached into his pocket and took out a small case. He opened it up and held out a card to her. “Here. This is my direct line. If you need anything in the future, you can call this number. I suggest you keep the card as well, not just put it into your phone.”_

_She wrapped a hand around the card. She should thank him for it, but she was so embarrassed and frustrated she just wanted him to go away, but he wouldn't now, not when she couldn't even call Sawa._

_And worse, there was that terrible part of her that didn't want him to go. What if he was right and something happened to her or Orion? She was too sick to take care of Orion right now, and she hated that. He was better, he was, and maybe tomorrow he'd be up to a lot more—he'd want to take care of her, but that was tomorrow, not now._

_“A compromise,” Kent said, and she looked up at him again. “If your fever is down in an hour and the next time you rise you can stand without getting dizzy, then I will go even if you can't get a hold of anyone to come stay in my stead.”_

_She nodded, ready to lay back down again anyway._

* * *

_Something beeped loudly, and she bolted up, looking around the apartment in fear. Was that the fire alarm? If the house was burning, she had to put it out. She had to get to the stove and turn it off. She had to keep Orion safe. That was all that mattered._

_She had to stop the fire._

_She tripped over something and fell with a curse and a scream, seeing someone's legs. No. Not that dream, not that one. She didn't want to see them like that even if she knew it was just her imagination. She'd never actually seen their bodies. The caskets were closed. She couldn't bring herself to cremate them after the fire, that felt so wrong, but she'd still never seen inside. She couldn't._

_“Did you forget I was here?” Kent asked, and her eyes went wide, staring at him in disbelief again. He was still here. She hadn't forgotten, but she didn't want to admit to the nightmare._

_“You said... an hour... you'd leave,” she whispered, though she knew better—that wasn't what Kent said at all, and she knew better than that._

_“I said if your fever was down and you could move without injuring yourself,” he corrected. “Your fever has actually gone back up since you woke last, and you are on the floor. Neither of my conditions for departing have been met, clearly.”_

_She flushed, ashamed of her panic and that he'd witnessed it. “I... What was that beeping?”_

_He lifted up his tablet. “It's low on batteries now. I just turned it off, as I did not bring the cord.”_

_“Oh.”_

_Kent looked at her. “Perhaps we should see if your actions woke your brother? I think it best to answer any questions sooner rather than later.”_

_She nodded. She stood, waiting to see if she got dizzy again, but she didn't, so she walked down the hall to Orion's room, pushing open the door. She saw someone—Kent?—had taken all the books off the bed and stacked them neatly on the table by the bed. She crossed over and sat down next to him. His head didn't feel warm to her, but then Kent said she still had a fever, so she couldn't be sure._

_She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the forehead. He didn't even stir._

_That was good, though. She stood, waiting again before she tried to walk, almost tripping on Orion's bag as soon as she moved._

_She sighed. He was going to have so much homework to do to catch up, and he'd hate it, but she'd make him do it tomorrow anyway. She closed the door and leaned against the wall._

_“Your motor function has improved, but you still have a fever and your color is off.”_

_She was starting to feel it again, and she knew if she took one step, she'd fall. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand._

_“Also, while I can understand the practicality of purchasing only one bottle of cold medicine for the two of you, as it is only the dosage that changes, not the medication, and I have also observed a discrepancy in the pricing between the adult and children's formula wherein the one marketed for kids is more expensive, I believe this may have led your brother to take the adult dose of the version with the sleep aid.”_

_She winced, putting a hand to her head. “I'll make sure he doesn't do it again. I thought I wrote the doses down for him...”_

_She took a step toward the kitchen where she'd put the medicine, but she got woozy. If Kent hadn't reached out when he did, she would have fallen. He lifted her up into his arms, and to her shame, it felt nice. She knew it shouldn't, but it had been so long since she'd been held, since the days when she was little and her father would carry her to bed when she'd stayed up too late. She did that for Orion, but there was no one to do that for her now, not for a long time._

_Kent set her down on the couch, and she found herself reaching out to stop him from walking away. She couldn't let him go._

_“Don't take him away from me. Please.”_

_Kent frowned down at her. “Why would I do that?”_

_“You're police... you have to... and everyone says... I'm not good enough... they've been trying to take him away since... since my parents died... I was too young... and then the accident...”_

_Kent sat down next to her. “You are mistaken in what I do for the police, and I do not know what this accident was, but it seems to me the word 'accident' implies that it could have happened to anyone. If every parent lost their child for an accident, no parent would have their children at all.”_

_She sighed. “You make me sound stupid.”_

_“That was not my intention.” Kent reached over to pull the blanket over her, and she almost started crying. “What is it? That look on your face—”_

_“It's nothing,” she said, not willing to admit how long it had been since anyone took care of her or how much she missed it. She missed her parents, and she still didn't understand how she'd lost them. It was so sudden, so impossible, and she knew that she would never stop feeling it._

_He shook his head, clearly not believing her. Something else beeped, and she flinched. He reached into his pocket with a frown. She knew she should send him home, and maybe this was the call he needed to go? That would be good, right? He grimaced before putting his phone back away._

_“Something wrong?”_

_“Not wrong so much as an annoyingly repetitive pattern,” Kent said. When she just stared at him, he added, “I have a friend who frequently attracts the wrong sort of women—he attracts all women, but he seems only to manage to ask out the ones that are superficial and see nothing more than the personality he displays for public relations, which inevitably leads to him being disappointed and lamenting to me about being unable to find love while heavily intoxicated.”_

_She wouldn't have expected anyone to talk to Kent about that sort of thing. He seemed to be waiting for her to say it, too, but she wouldn't give into that. She wasn't going to be baited again. “Oh. I thought maybe it was an emergency and you had to go.”_

_“It rarely happens like that,” Kent said. “I am still technically the head of the forensics lab, but if I am called out of it, it's because of a case that's already in progress and shifting over to us because of its nature and scope. Ukyo is the one that gets the most emergency calls, as he actually needs to be there when the scene is new. I do not, though I do find it can be helpful as not everyone observes proper procedure in evidence collection.”_

_She still didn't completely understand his job, but the more she heard, the more curious she became. “Do you ever review older cases?”_

_He nodded. “Yes, actually. In fact, last year I worked to optimize efficiency between time spent on recent cases and ones that are considered 'cold.' While the investigators have a dedicated team for such work, the lab did not, and those tests are frequently pushed aside for more recent cases.”_

_She frowned. “There's always going to be a newer case, though. That's not right. People won't ever get answers.”_

_“Exactly,” he said, giving her a genuine smile at her comprehension, and she bit her lip, trying not to smile back. That look of his was dangerous. “Anyway, I found a system that allows for a certain number of tests for the older cases to be maintained, some equipment that could be dedicated to the work, and a rotation of technicians for it as well. The changes were not all well-received, but they proved efficient enough that I was asked to help a lab in Kyoto with similar work.”_

_“Kyoto? You've seen cases in Kyoto?”_

_He frowned at her. “Is that where your parents died? Are you thinking I might have looked into their murder?”_

_She almost pulled the pillow over her face. How obvious was she? Pathetic. “They weren't murdered.”_

_“I find that a bit difficult to believe.”_

_“I just...” She forced herself to face him. “All anyone has ever told me is that it was an accident, and I... I just don't understand that. I have no idea how to explain it to my brother, so I tell him the same thing, but...”_

_“You have questions.” Kent watched her. “You said it was not murder, but you question that it was an accident?”_

_She did. She didn't understand how it could have happened like that and been an accident. “It happened so fast. I took my brother out to the park, but we left in a hurry... I hadn't gotten him ready properly. It was colder than I knew, and... he was freezing, his little hands turning red. I didn't have a choice—I had to take him back to the apartment for a coat. When we got there, though, the fire trucks were already there and... our house was gone.”_

_Kent studied her. “You were reluctant to return despite the weather?”_

_“My parents were fighting. I didn't want my brother hearing that, and the longer we stayed away, the more sure I could be that it would be over when we got back, but... it was too cold. And that's another reason... could a fire really burn so fast if it was so cold?”_

_“It is the conditions of the interior of the building that would determine the spread of a fire, though the exterior could be a factor if it was also wet, but I assume that if it were raining or snowing you would not have gone to the park.”_

_Kent was being all logical again. She didn't know why that seemed like a good thing._

_“How long do you believe you were gone?”_

_“Half an hour at the most,” she said, sure of that. She'd gone over and over it in her mind, and she'd seen the clock just before she left, wanting to be sure she was back for dinner even if they needed to stay away for their parents' fight to end. “The park wasn't far, but it was cold, and I did hear the sirens while he was playing, but I didn't think it could be anything at our house.”_

_Kent nodded. “Understandable. Few would leap to that assumption.”_

_She closed her eyes. “I can't believe I'm telling you this.”_

_“I fail to see why it is so surprising. You are asking someone who might have access to the answers you want. What is so strange about that?”_

_She tensed up instantly. Was that what she'd done? She couldn't have. She wouldn't ask Kent for help, and he shouldn't even be here now. “Um... we don't like each other?”_

_Kent nodded. “Well, that is a... complication, of course, but if one has opportunity and can reach a satisfying answer to such a question, there seems no reason not to ask, even if there is some personal conflict. I believe I can get access to that file if you do not mind waiting for a bit.”_

_“What?” She stared at him, swallowing. Could she actually ask him that? No. She couldn't. She couldn't take anything else from him. She needed to make him leave. Now. “No. I couldn't ask for that. I don't—you don't have to help me. I don't need that. I just... I only said... I don't even know why I said it. It must be because I'm sick. Just leave me alone.”_

_He sighed. “Yes, you do need to rest. We need not speak of this now.”_

_She watched him adjust the blanket for her and closed her eyes, not wanting to show any more weakness to him._

* * *

_“Neesan?”_

_She forced her eyes open and looked up to see Orion peering down at her. She frowned, her head still sort of fuzzy, but she managed to sit up, looking around the room. Had she only been dreaming? Maybe she never went to work at all. Kent hadn't brought her home, he was never here, and they hadn't talked about anything, not her parents' death._

_“You're awake,” Orion said with a smile, grinning at her. “I'm glad. You slept for a very long time. I think you missed work, too.”_

_She groaned, but she stood up anyway. She had a lot to take care of, and her manager would not be happy with her for any of this._

_“I guess you were busy cleaning after work last night,” Orion said, and she frowned at him. She hadn't cleaned. She'd been asleep._

_She walked over to the kitchen counter, looking at the dishes set out to dry next to the sink. All of the papers scattered across the table were stacked in neat piles, one of bills and the other of Orion's schoolwork. Next to them was one folded paper with her name on it and a bottle of the children's formula of cold medicine._

_She picked up the paper, unfolded it, and started reading._

Your fever was down this morning when I last checked. It seems you are already beginning to recover. You may have no need of the things I have left behind, but as they are only practical when one is injured or unwell, I believe you should have them. I will pass by the cafe on my way to work and inform them that you will not be in today and let your friend know that your cellphone is currently missing. I would hope they would have the sense to check on you before it is much later, as I could not stay any longer nor could I leave my phone for your use as I have sensitive information on it. Still, if you are at all unwell, you should still have my card.

Also, your brother seems to be struggling with his math homework. Have him try the problems on the page I left behind instead. If he needs any further assistance, I may be able to provide it.

_She folded the paper into a smaller square, shoving it in her pocket. She reached for the page on top of Orion's school work, seeing more of Kent's writing, this time in math problems. She winced._

_“Oh, wow, you went shopping, too,” Orion said, and she looked over at him. He had the refrigerator open, and even from here, she could see it was stocked almost full. “It was empty when I went to bed last night, but you brought a lot home. Can I have some of this miso soup?”_

_She nodded, feeling strange. Why had Kent done all that? One or two dishes, maybe, but she bet if she looked through her refrigerator now, she'd find enough fresh food to last them the rest of the month._

_And he'd cleaned up the kitchen._

_“Neesan?”_

_She forced a smile. “Sorry, I'm still a bit tired.”_

_“You got sick, too, didn't you? Look at all you got us so we wouldn't have to cook,” Orion said, shutting the refrigerator. “And you cleaned. You were trying to make sure it was all done before you got really sick, right?”_

_She reached over and ruffled his hair, and he hugged her. She held on tight, still confused. She knew Kent didn't think much of her caring for Orion, and he had to think even less of it now that he'd seen their apartment and knew how they'd been living, but he'd still helped her and had told her he wouldn't take Orion away even after she'd made a mistake about the medicine._

_“I'm glad you're feeling better,” she said. “But you know what that means, don't you? No more Ikki novels. You need to do your homework.”_

_Orion groaned._

* * *

_She felt her heart jump every time the bell on the door rang. She knew any one of them could be Kent, and she wasn't ready to see him after being sick and all she'd said and done. She didn't want to see him. She couldn't._

_“Go greet the customers,” her manager ordered, and she nodded, though she hated that he was the only other one working—and working was not how she'd describe him doing his job. He didn't do anything but order her around._

_She forced herself back to the door, staring in shock when she saw a man who looked just like Ikki walk in the door. She knew it couldn't be him, that man was too popular to come to some plain cafe as this, and why would he bother when he could go to high priced restaurants anywhere in Japan?_

_“Huh,” he said before she'd even finished her bow. “He's not here. That's unusual.”_

_She frowned, knowing she'd never seen him in the cafe before. “May I show you to your table?”_

_“I'll take that one there and a cup of coffee,” he said, sitting down at the same table Kent usually chose. Well, that was fine. Then he couldn't sit there and maybe he wouldn't stay so she wouldn't have to be embarrassed all over again._

_“Certainly,” she said, heading back to the kitchen to prepare the coffee. She filled a mug and placed it on the tray with a dish full of creamer just in case. She should have asked, but her distraction over facing Kent again plus the way this man looked like her little brother's hero had thrown her off completely._

_She heard the bell as she was lifting the tray, but she ignored it, trying to make sure she didn't spill anything. She could always greet the newcomer when she was done, and she knew her balance was still a little shaky after her flu._

_She stopped at the table only to almost dump the tray anyway. Kent had sat down at the same table as Ikki, and she couldn't find any words, wanting to run rather than face him after all he'd done the other night and her stupidity._

_“Ah, that smells wonderful,” Ikki said, giving her a smile. “Sorry, should we have asked before Ken sat down? If it's a problem—”_

_“Of course not,” she said, trying to be normal. “Is there anything you would like to drink?”_

_Kent frowned at her. “The same thing I always have.”_

_She nodded, setting down the cream and starting to back away, hearing the other man laughing._

_“You're in a mood. Don't tell me that jerk actually got to you.”_

_“Don't be absurd. I simply find eating out with you tedious because you always have that effect on the staff.”_

_“You say that, but I know you're not really mad at me. You know none of that stuff he said was true, and he doesn't have the authority to pull you off the case. You're still our fearless leader, and we will follow you to the end.”_

_“You're an idiot.”_

_She bit her lip, trying not to show that she'd heard any of that as she went back to get Kent's usual. At least if he wasn't alone, she wouldn't have to say anything about what he'd done even if she really did owe him a thank you._

_She carried the cup out to the table, setting it in front of Kent. His eyes found hers, and she flushed, wanting to hide behind the tray._

_“I apologize for my friend,” his companion said, giving her a smile a lot like Ikki's. “He's dealing with some really nasty interoffice politics, and it's making him very cranky. What he means to say is thank you.”_

_Kent sighed. “I wish you wouldn't speak for me. And stop flirting with everyone you meet. It is more infuriating than that idiot from Kyoto.”_

_“Kyoto?” she asked, unable to stop herself. This wasn't about her parents, was it?_

_“You don't have to worry. Your favorite customer isn't going anywhere.”_

_Kent glared at him. “Ikkyu, I am no one's favorite customer.”_

_Ikkyu kept on like Kent hadn't said anything. “I know he's a lot of trouble, I'm sure of it, but he's really not a bad guy. Like I said, he's dealing with an idiot in the other office, and that is making him very cranky.”_

_“It is irrational,” Kent said, giving into his frustration. “If his son was so qualified for my position, he would have it. The idea that I somehow 'cheated' to acquire my position is ridiculous. I started out as any newcomer would, whether I was hired directly by Waka or not.”_

_“Nope, you're just too good at what you do, seeing as you're juggling the task force and the lab and efficiency is actually up,” Ikki said, smiling before sipping from his coffee. “Hmm. This is quite good. Thank you.”_

_She knew she was red. She really should have left the table by now. “Would you like anything else?”_

_“Perhaps,” he said, smirking over the coffee cup. “Let's see... a name and a number would be a good start.”_

_“Ikkyu,” Kent snapped. The other man smiled at him. He didn't smile back. “According to Ukyo, he has left the office, which means Shin and Toma should have what we need any minute now. There is no point in lingering.”_

_“You're not eating?” She heard herself blurt out the words and winced._

_“No,” Kent said, putting enough money for his usual meal and tip on the table before he rose. He walked past her without another word._

_“Duty calls,” the other man said, rising. He left more than Kent had and took off after him. “Wait up, Ken. We're not in that big a rush.”_

_She picked up the money, feeling guilty. Not only had she not even managed a thank you to Kent, but he hadn't touched that coffee, and it sounded like he was in trouble because of her._

* * *

_She pulled her bag over her arm and walked around the corner, leaving the back alley behind her. She was tired, her shift feeling way too long after being sick for as long as she was, and she knew she wasn't actually over it, but she couldn't stay home any longer than she already had. Kent's gift meant she didn't have to spend as much on groceries, but she still had a lot of other bills to pay._

_Orion was at his friend's house now that he wasn't sick, and she'd taken the extra hours, but she almost regretted it._

_“If you collapse again, I think it would be best to let them hospitalize you. Of course, they cannot do much for stubbornness, but in your state, such behavior is dangerous and likely to cause relapse, yet you worked later than usual despite your obvious fatigue.”_

_She stopped. “Kent?”_

_He folded his arms over his chest. “I realize my friend gave you a misapprehension about the situation earlier, and I was in no mood to correct him in front of you, but that Kyoto business is nothing to do with yours.”_

_She put her hand to her chest, relieved. “Oh. I... I did think maybe you got in trouble looking into that for me, and I didn't want that. I—You shouldn't look into it at all.”_

_He shook his head, starting to walk away from her. “Whether or not I do may well have more to do with my own curiosity on the matter now that it has been raised and little to do with you, so you need not feel any burden of guilt over it.”_

_“What? You're just going to pry into my private business like that?” She demanded, running to catch up with him. “Absolutely not. You are not going to do that.”_

_Kent stopped, studying her. “Are you really willing to let it go so easily when you could have answers to things that have troubled you for years? I admit I do not think I could do the same. I'd have to have the answers.”_

_She wanted them, too. She couldn't deny that. It hurt every time she could only say it was an accident, and the older Orion got, the more he wanted to know about their parents. If she'd stayed in Kyoto with him, she was sure he'd have heard rumors by now—there were even some here, she knew that, but she didn't even know if they were true._

_Kent nodded, turning to start walking again. “Very well. You can stop protesting. I don't have the answers yet, but I will at least review the file once I have it.”_

_She bit her lip. “Kent—”_

_“I see no reason to argue over this matter further. I only stopped on my way home to clarify what Ikkyu said earlier, not to fight with you. This other Kyoto matter is unrelated. I... Our captain is currently away, I was left in charge of a group of officers that seems more like a bunch of juvenile delinquents half the time, and a man who felt he could use my supposed inexperience against my captain made a move I am certain he now regrets.”_

_“Was anyone hurt?”_

_“Only in someone's not inconsiderable pride,” Kent answered with a faint smile. “He was outmaneuvered and embarrassed, and Ukyo has the pictures to prove it. Toma took them to frame for the office.”_

_“Oh,” she said, finding herself smiling. He sounded like he'd had fun. Kent had fun, and that didn't seem much like him at all. “Can I see them sometime?”_

_“I... that... why?”_

_She shrugged. “I don't know. You sounded happy there for a minute, and something that makes you happy must be pretty rare.”_

_Kent frowned. “It is not that rare.”_

_“Oh, it is,” she told him. “I think I can count the number of times you've smiled on one hand.”_

_She could, she knew she could, because just about every time he did, it gave her butterflies, but she wasn't going to tell him that was why she'd been able to keep track of his smiles. Kent was definitely not someone who knew how attractive he could be—and most of the time, because of his attitude, he wasn't, but when he smiled, he was beautiful. Unguarded, gentle, all sorts of unexpected things came with that smile._

_Not a smirk, she'd seen a few of those, and they were different. She meant his real smile._

_“I see. I... I suppose I commend you for your attention to detail,” he said. “I... Has your brother fully recovered, then?”_

_She was a little thrown by the change in topic, but she nodded. “Yes. He's doing a lot better. He's got a school trip coming up in a couple days, and he went to a friend's house tonight. He's got so much energy now that he's not sick. Oh, and I need to thank you—those math problems you gave him... once he did them, he understood how to do the rest of his assignment. They really helped.”_

_Kent smiled at her then. “I'm glad.”_

_She tried not to react to that. He was rather pleased with himself, and it was adorable, but she didn't want him being adorable. She was in his debt, and she hated it. “I'm not your charity case.”_

_“Excuse me?”_

_“You didn't have to buy all that food. I can get food for myself and my brother. I don't need you to buy it for me.”_

_Kent stopped, folding his arms over his chest. “I can think of more worthwhile causes as charities, and I have never been known as a source of pity. I didn't know what you or your brother ate for food, and a great deal of it might not be to your highly defined sense of taste you think so much of, so it seemed wiser to get more rather than less. And if that offends you so much, feel free to dispose of as much of it as you like. I do not care what you do with it. You may wish to be more prudent in the case you do get ill again, seeing as you had no phone, no food, and only a sick brother in case your fever grew worse. I don't know what you would have done if I had not intervened, but if it displeases you so much, I won't do it again. I have no need to waste my time in such a manner.”_

_He turned and started walking in the other direction, and she flinched, knowing she should apologize, but she was mad now, too, and she wasn't about to back down. She stomped her foot and turned for her own apartment, blinking back tears of frustration and shame._

* * *

_“You came in again.”_

_Kent looked up from his menu. “This is still the most efficient place to eat lunch, though if you are going to take issue with my presence, I can reassess those calculations and find an alternative.”_

_She shook her head. She didn't want that. She really didn't. As much as she and Kent fought, she didn't want to be the one that forced him to leave. She didn't want to be like that. She didn't know how to tell him that without ruining everything, though. It was so complicated with him._

_“I don't want to throw out the food you got,” she said. “If you wanted any of it—”_

_“No. I have no need for it. I am rarely home, and it would likely go bad,” Kent said, a strange expression overtaking his face. “You make do with such a small space and I... Truthfully, I have far more room than I need or use. It was not pity, though the inequality of our respective circumstances is not lost on me. It is not so simple a thing as to exchange items and make up the difference, nor is it something you want. The math problems, of course, are also a different matter. I have found that I enjoy making puzzles, and while your brother did not need the sort I make to frustrate my friend, this might be of some use to him.”_

_Kent pushed a book across the table. She picked it up, snorting at the title._

“Math Even a Kiwi Can Understand.” _She touched the bottom of the book. “You wrote this?”_

_“Yes, though it is far from a bestseller. One of my teammates is constantly suggesting I stop annoying them and go write a sequel with a kumquat or something more vulgar depending on his mood.”_

_She laughed, and Kent smiled at her. This, she had to admit, felt nice, just talking like this. She had to try and make more conversations like this happen. No fighting. No debates. Just... talking._

_Though... this silence was getting a little awkward. “Oh. I need to put your order in. I'll be back in a minute.”_

_She hurried to the back, book in hand. She put it in her apron as she started making Kent's drink. Sawa joined her at the counter._

_“Why do I always get the jerks? Table four is full of fat businessmen and one of them pinched me,” Sawa said, looking back with a frown. “I'd take your math ogre any day. At least he doesn't pinch.”_

_“No, he's more of a gentleman than that,” she agreed, smiling as she patted the book in her pocket. Sawa frowned at her._

_“What was that? Did you two... bond when you were sick?”_

_“Of course not. That's not—he gave me a math book for Orion,” she said, aware her cheeks were red. “It was kind of him, even if no one really wants a math book as a gift. Orion won't be thrilled, but anything that can help him with that is good by me since I'm so bad at math myself.”_

_Sawa just shook her head as Kokoa picked up her tray. She carried it back with her, setting the cup in front of Kent._

_“Your sandwich won't be long,” she said. Then she frowned. “Don't you ever get tired of eating one of them every day?”_

_“The nutritional value is the important part, and that meets the criteria while being rather quickly prepared and easy to eat relatively fast without mess or consequence, which is also useful if I am called back early from lunch, as has happened. It's fine.”_

_She thought the sandwiches here were terrible, and she worked here. “Okay, but I don't see how you can eat them. You should try a bit of variety.”_

_“My parents have seen to it that I have sampled a wide variety of catered meals and take out, and I am not lacking in culinary experience even if I have never cooked before—”_

_“You're kidding. You've never cooked before? Not once? Not ever? Your parents didn't think that was worth teaching you?”_

_He shook his head. “It was inefficient for either of them to cook. They don't, and I have never learned. I never saw the need, either, though I have lived on my own for years now.”_

_“You need to learn to cook,” she said. “That's a basic life skill. What if you got sick and were alone? Oh, you are, but... you should have something you can make in emergencies, right? Isn't that... logical?”_

_“Perhaps.”_

_She put her hands on her hips. “If I'd known you didn't know how, I'd have made you learn when you were at my house.”_

_“I see.”_

_She flushed. “Well... it would only be fair, right? You did all that other stuff for me, and this is... that wouldn't make it charity, but a fair exchange.”_

_He nodded. “That is true, in a sense.”_

_She lowered her voice, wanting to be sure Sawa didn't hear her. “You're still researching what happened to my parents, right?”_

_“Yes. I did learn some of the physical evidence remains in storage, and getting that to my lab has been caught in a ridiculous amount of bureaucratic nonsense and red tape, but I believe it can still be done. Oh. You... don't want that, do you? I suppose I can cancel the request, though it is going to—”_

_“If you do that for me, I am teaching you to cook,” she said, and he stared at her, speechless. “What about Saturday? My brother has already made plans with his friends for the weekend, and I might take a shift if I can, but my evening is free.”_

_“Mine is not. I always eat dinner with my parents on Saturday.”_

_“Sunday, then.”_

_“I do not think this is wise—”_

_“Those are my terms,” she said, giving him a smile before heading back to the kitchen for his sandwich._

* * *

_“This kitchen is absurdly small,” Kent said, irritated. She couldn't disagree with him. She'd known it wasn't very big, but she'd never thought it was this tiny before she tried to share the space with Kent while teaching him to cook. He wasn't fat, but with his height and reach, it was a bit awkward._

_They kept bumping into each other, and Kent's insistence on following the recipe to the letter was driving her crazy, but she was enjoying this in spite of all of that._

_So was Kent, if she wasn't mistaken. He'd been the one to suggest making dessert as well, even though she was pretty sure they'd already made more food than either of them could eat, and she still had a pretty full refrigerator. She'd have to freeze some of it._

_“I suppose you'd find it in poor taste if I suggested you let my friend examine your finances,” Kent said, not looking at her, his eyes on some flour that had spattered his coat. She'd tried to tell him to take it off, but he said he wasn't staying long and hadn't, so now it was covered in cooking debris._

_“What?”_

_“That friend of mine you met, Ikkyu? He has a degree in economics and is rather good at managing money. He might be able to find places where you could reduce your spending to allow for a better living situation for the two of you.”_

_She grimaced. “I don't need you to tell me this apartment is small, okay? I'm fine here. So is Orion. It's a roof over our head that doesn't leak. It's not freezing in the winter. It's a bit small, but it's home. I work hard for this. You don't have to pass judgment on me.”_

_Kent sighed. “I'm not. I am merely—the idea was to allow your current situation to provide more for you, not... judgment. He actually manages the money for everyone on our team—Ukyo's head is forever in the clouds, and Shin and Toma have a bad habit of not paying attention to money until it's all gone. Ikkyu found ways to make it easier for them to save without greatly altering their lifestyle or spending habits. That's all I was suggesting.”_

_She swallowed. If that was actually possible, it would be nice, but she'd cut all the corners she could already. She knew that. “No.”_

_Kent turned back to the pot, his eyes on the soup as he stirred it. “Would it be any different if you could do something like this? The fair exchange? Ikkyu knows how to cook, he learned it on that television show he did for so long, but that doesn't mean that you can't—”_

_“You're friends with Ikki? That Ikki? My brother loves him.”_

_Kent closed his eyes. “Of course he does. That would be fitting, wouldn't it? Ikkyu is much loved, by nearly everyone. Well, no, other men are jealous of him, and it sometimes sounds like either Toma or Shin hates him, but then I think bickering is a natural state for all of us, for all that Toma will try and pretend otherwise.”_

_“Kent?”_

_He shook his head. “I think this is about done now, and the recipe was not as specific about the time as I'd like, but it is within the range given, so that means we've made an entire meal. We're... done. The lesson is over.”_

_“I thought we agreed on dessert,” she reminded him, “and I'm not eating this all on my own. That's way too much food for me.”_

_Kent frowned. “I don't... Somehow eating together seems... unwise.”_

_“Are you afraid I'll throw food at you like a child in a film?”_

_He started laughing, almost against his will. “No. Of course not. I just... Stop looking at me like that. I keep wanting to laugh, and it is not... it's not like me at all.”_

_She thought Kent could stand to laugh a lot more. He was way too uptight. Even the way he dressed, with all those buckles, was really straight-laced and probably uncomfortable. He didn't seem to know how to relax._

_She was about to tell him that when his phone rang. He sighed, digging it out of his pocket. He put it to his ear, still frowning. “What? That can't be right. Toma filed for the warrant, and he's the lawyer among us. No, I didn't say I was blaming Toma, Shin. I'm saying something—fine. I will be there, but if you are that worried about Toma, you can tell him yourself instead of taking your temper out on others.”_

_He hung up, and she looked at him, unable to hide her concern. “What happened?”_

_“Someone's claiming the evidence on our last case was obtained illegally, which is not true, even if I know Toma and Shin bend a few rules to investigate the way they do. They'd never compromise a key piece of evidence like that, but Shin says they're ready to suspend Toma over it and Waka's not scheduled back until tomorrow—I wouldn't be surprised if he's in by the time I get there, but for now, as I'm acting head of the team, I need to go.”_

_She nodded, a bit worried all the same. “It's okay, though, I mean... none of you are hurt or going to be hurt or... anything like that?”_

_Kent shook his head. “No, it's not like that.”_

_“Kent?”_

_He tried to force a smile. “It's really just a legal mistake that... it may mean this crime can't be prosecuted, but I think we still have enough other evidence to go forward. It's nothing too major, but Shin takes things personally, and while he hates Toma fussing over him, he's very protective of his brother all the same.”_

_“Oh. Okay.”_

_“I promise I will have an answer for you about your family's case soon as well. I do need to leave now, though.”_

* * *

_“How's Toma?”_

_Kent didn't seem to hear her, and she set his mug in front of him, shifting her tray and waving a hand in front of his face. This wasn't like him at all. Something must really be wrong. Had something bad happened to Toma, then? Did they suspend him?_

_Kent's phone rang, and he jerked, reaching into his pocket for it, checking it and sighing, shoving it back in his pocket. He looked up, eyes widening when he saw her. “Kokoa?”_

_“Yes,” she said, now uncertain he'd really known he'd come into the cafe. He'd sat down without speaking to her, and she'd gotten his drink like always, but he still hadn't spoken until just now. “Are you okay? Is Toma?”_

_Kent nodded. “He's fine. He wasn't suspended. It was a clerical error, not his. They misfiled the warrant, and it was not a pleasant twenty-four hours as we tried to cover for the possible damage to the case.”_

_That explained why he wasn't in yesterday. She'd been worried then, too. “So the case is okay?”_

_“It's fine.”_

_“You don't seem fine.”_

_Kent shook his head. “No, I'm fine. A bit tired. And an emotionless robot, according to Shin. I suppose I should have had more of a reaction to that scene, it was quite horrific in nature, but I was... detached, and it was good as the others all seemed too affected, unable to do basic parts of their job. I... Is it possible I am more of a monster than the ones I've helped hunt? To have no reaction to that... Those children were younger than your brother...”_

_She put a hand over her mouth in horror. “Kent...”_

_He put his head in his hands. “I was calm. They needed someone to be calm.”_

_She sat down next to him, putting the tray to the side and touching his back. “Kent, I don't know what you saw, but it sounds terrible, and I... I don't even know what to say.”_

_“Oh, compared to this, looking at pictures of your former apartment was almost... easy. This was... It must be everything else around it. The trial and the endless phone calls and the stupid bureaucracy and then I see that and I... there is no reason in something like that. It was senseless violence against those who couldn't hope to fight back and a part of me wants to go find that tutor and arrest him as well even though I know he had nothing to do with this... we have our monster... but that level of depravity... against someone so small... I can't comprehend it, and yet... I do this every day as a job and I do and I test and I use logic and reason but this was just madness... sickness in its highest form...”_

_She rubbed a hand along Kent's back like she might Orion, not knowing what else to do. He had to have seen something really awful, and she didn't want to know more about it, she really didn't. For someone to hurt someone younger than her brother, innocent as he was, someone who'd been sick and helpless not that long ago... That was a true monster._

_“The others went off to get drunk. I already feel drunk. This... reaction...it's too emotional for me when I'm sober. I can't... I can't make sense of it.”_

_“I don't think you're supposed to make sense of someone doing that to a child,” she said. “It's never right no matter who they are or what might have happened to them before. It's just wrong to go after a child. They can't fight back. They're innocent, no matter who their parents are or how they might have come into the world.”_

_“Do you say that knowing your brother is likely the product of an affair?”_

_She flinched, but then she steeled herself. “Kent, I know you're hurting right now, but don't you dare go saying stuff like that about my brother. Orion is my brother. Period. End of story. All that matters is that he's my brother.”_

_Kent pulled away from her. “I don't know how to deal with you being kind to me. I didn't expect this. I don't even know why I'm here. I... I left the station and started walking... and I was here. I should go. I have more work to do, and I wasn't done looking into that other matter and—”_

_His phone rang again, and he took it out, glared at it and threw it on the floor. He stepped on it until it stopped ringing, and she could only stare at him._

_“Kent,” she began, a bit scared of him now, too. He was not like this. Ever. She thought of his laughter just the other day. He was nothing like that now. “That was... not like you.”_

_He sighed. “I will buy a new one later. I don't need that nonsense on top of this. I... You're not safe, you know that, right? That neighborhood where you live, it's not that good, and your brother's school is in a worse location and I've heard things I don't care for about that school and—Your brother is... he was older than them. What am I thinking? I can't—this is intolerable.”_

_She bit her lip. “I think you need to rest. You said something about twenty-four hours, which means you haven't slept, and if you saw something that awful, you... you need time.”_

_He put a hand to his head. “Time. Time is both a fixed constant and an intangible thing. So strange.”_

_The cafe's bell rang, and she saw Ikki come in, looking just as miserable as Kent did. “There you are. You do realize you scared everyone wandering off like that. What part of you probably have a concussion did you miss? You're the one that's always lecturing us on that sort of thing including the impracticality of how often they occur in fiction and if I'd been hit even half the times the show did that to me, I'd be a vegetable with irreversible brain damage.”_

_Kent touched his head. “Is that what this is? My head hurt but that's not so unusual for me, so I was just ignoring it.”_

_“Ken, you have to learn to take care of yourself,” Ikki told him. He fished in his pocket and took out a large bill, placing it on the table. “Sorry about all this. Ken was the only one calm enough to interview the suspect, the guy rushed him when Ken's logic hit too close to home, and he took a bad hit to the head.”_

_“I don't remember any of that,” Kent said. “This was after that unholy pit and the massacre and those children?”_

_Ikki swore. “Yes, it was, and we are taking you back to the hospital and seeing a different doctor because that one is an idiot.”_

_“Very well, though I believe I may vomit on you.”_

_“Wouldn't be the first time,” Ikki said, putting his arm under Kent's. “Come on. Lean on me, and we'll get you back in the car—Toma's driving, not Shin, it's okay—and to the hospital.”_

_“Oh. Then I can try and vomit on Ukyo's camera. That seems practical.”_

_Ikki actually laughed as he led him out of the cafe, but she just stood there in shock, not sure what to think of any of that._

* * *

_“I believe I need to apologize for whatever I may have done while I was concussed yesterday,” Kent said as she greeted him. “I... have no recollection of it, I'm afraid, and I don't know what I might have said, but given the general nature of our conversations, I would not be surprised if it was quite unpleasant for you.”_

_She swallowed. “Are you okay now? You were... really upset yesterday.”_

_“Upset? Did we argue again?” Kent frowned, touching his head again. “They told me at the hospital that anything yesterday may well never come back to me as it was rather a severe concussion, which complicates matters to a great degree as I was collecting evidence as well as interviewing a suspect and have no memory of any of it, nor of coming here.”_

_She wasn't sure she should tell him how much he'd said. “Not exactly. You were worried about the case and then where I live, and then Ikki found you and took you to the hospital.”_

_“Oh. I see. Very well.” He turned to leave, and she reached out to catch his arm. He looked down at her hand and frowned. “What?”_

_“You... you're not staying to eat?”_

_“Oh. No. Not only do I not have an appetite, I have to be in court shortly. I should already be there, and my mother will not be pleased if I'm late. I have to go now.”_

_She forced herself to let go of him. “Did you... I suppose you don't remember looking at my family's case, then, either?”_

_He frowned, thinking about it. “I know I have the file, and I may have reviewed it, but I'm afraid if I had anything to tell you, I've quite forgotten it as well. I will look when I'm home.”_

_She nodded. She wanted to know, and she didn't, so the delay was both welcome and terrible all at the same time. “Okay. Be careful.”_

_“I am in court all day today. There is nothing to fear there,” Kent told her. “I may not be in to dine for a while, either, depending on this case and how it goes in court. I am only telling you this because we have that other matter to discuss when I have reviewed it properly, and I won't be here for a while.”_

_She nodded, watching him leave. She was still worried about him, she couldn't help it, so she grabbed a broom, going out to sweep the front of the cafe. She was supposed to do it anyway, and it wasn't like she had anyone else to wait on._

_She had just stepped outside when she heard a voice call out in surprise. “Wow, Ken. That was more vicious than usual. I thought we agreed our weapon of choice was a math puzzle.”_

_“I will not apologize when you startled me. What are you doing here, Ikkyu?”_

_“I told you I was making sure you got to the trial today, remember? You did get that concussion, but that's all the more reason why you shouldn't be walking there,” Ikki told him. “And you usually don't attack people like that even when they sneak up on you.”_

_Kent sighed. “Aside from when I had the concussion, which is quite... blank still, I have had the sense that someone's been following me for about a week now. It has made me uneasy.”_

_“It's just them trying to intimidate you. Like that crap with the phone calls.”_

_“I am aware of that, and I have no intention of not testifying, but it has been weighing on me nevertheless. I wish they had not moved this trial up, as much as I want it over and done. There is too much going on at present.”_

_“At least Waka's back,” Ikki said. “Let him handle all the red tape nightmares. Just focus on the trial and the tests you need to remote manage. Everything else can wait. You know Shin and Toma already got reassigned, and Ukyo's not even with us right now. He's got an exhibition in Kyoto, of all things.”_

_Kent nodded. “Remind me to put in for leave next week. I want to go to Kyoto myself.”_

_She covered her mouth, not letting herself call out to him. If he was going to Kyoto, he'd found something, right? It wasn't like Kent to take time off. This had to be about what happened to her family._

_“Sounds good. I'll come with and show you the best places to party.”_

_“You're not coming, Ikkyu.”_

* * *

_She looked around at the boxes she'd spent the morning packing. For as many years as they'd been here, they didn't actually have that much to move. She was sure they wouldn't need more than one day to do it, for all that Sawa was worried about it. The biggest furniture to worry about was her couch as Orion's bed actually came apart and was not that difficult to move—she'd done it on her own when she bought it—and so she was sure that they could be out of here tomorrow and in their new apartment, safe and sound, and she'd have to sleep on the floor for a bit, but she'd take it as she'd have a room of her own for the first time in years._

_She owed Kent for that tip, she really did. She had to tell him she'd taken it today. She had to. He'd done so much for them, and she was sure he must have done something about Taniguchi even though she'd denied what he'd said. She hadn't gone that night, and yet he never did anything, so Kent had talked to him, hadn't he? She wasn't a fool. Taniguchi would have threatened her again if he thought he could, and her not going wasn't enough to scare him off._

_She heard a knock on the door and went to open it, seeing Kent there in his usual coat, looking very uncomfortable._

_“Come in,” she said, stepping back to let him in. He did, reaching into his coat to take out a folder._

_“I do not think you want to see all of this, as the actual pictures of the crime scene are quite... graphic,” he said. “I mean... It is not a way you should want to remember your parents. I would think seeing them as you remember them would be preferable over the aftermath of that fire.”_

_She bit her lip. “I... I don't know if I'll have to look. I just... I don't understand how that fire happened so fast, how we lost them like that, and I... I guess I wanted to know if it was a faulty wire or a forgotten dish on the stove or...”_

_“You may wish to sit down for this,” Kent told her, and she stared at him. He took her arm and guided her to the couch. “You were aware of your parents fighting, you said that. You had taken your brother away to spare him hearing them argue.”_

_She grimaced. “Yes, I did.”_

_“And you are also aware of the... allegations about your brother's true parentage?”_

_“I told you—that doesn't matter. Orion is my brother. He's always been my brother. That's all that I care about.”_

_Kent nodded. “Yes, I know that is what you said. I am merely establishing that as a baseline for this conversation. It... pertains to the accepted theory of events in that apartment after your departure that evening.”_

_“What?”_

_“The fire was clearly arson set inside your family's apartment,” Kent told her, and she flinched. She'd been afraid of this, she had been, but that couldn't be right, could it?_

_“Why would they tell me it was an accident? Why not tell me they were murdered?”_

_Kent took a breath and let it out. “They told you it was an accident to spare you, as you were still somewhat of a child at the time, but they did not believe it was an accident, nor was it simply a murder. Their investigation led them to believe that your father uncovered your mother's infidelity and flew into a rage at the betrayal of raising another man's son. He killed her and then set the apartment on fire before killing himself.”_

_She shook her head. “No. No, I know they were fighting, and Father was angry so often when he came home, but that was work trouble. He'd never do that. He loved Orion. He wasn't that kind of man. He could never do that to her. To us.”_

_“They did a blood test that confirmed that he was not Orion's biological father.”_

_She stood up and faced Kent, fury shaking her whole body. “You're not listening to me. Orion is my brother no matter what. He was still his son, even if—and I don't—my mother wasn't that kind of person, either. That can't be right. I know that's what they said, and plenty of people told me I should give Orion to that man, but he is not Orion's father, and he never will be. He doesn't get my brother, whoever he is. He's probably a rapist, and I won't—no. You're wrong. They're wrong.”_

_Kent flipped through the pages of the folder in his hands. “Regardless of your personal beliefs, this is the conclusion that the investigative team reached—your mother died first after being stabbed several times. Your father died with the accelerant next to him and a knife in hand, of a single wound to the gut—like a seppuku.”_

_“No.”_

_“I can show you the autopsy results as well as the photographs if you need them to accept the manner of their deaths.”_

_She stared at him. “What are you, a monster? You can't just—I don't want to see that. I don't need to. It's wrong. My father did not kill my mother. He would not have done that, and not when we had just left the house and no.”_

_“Admittedly, that is the part of the scenario I have difficulty with, as it seems unlikely that a man so enraged would spare the child and kill only the wife—”_

_“He didn't,” she said, hitting Kent and sending the file to the floor. Pages spilled out all over, pictures, too, and she stared at them in horror, shapeless blackened forms, not even close to what her parents had been in life. That wasn't them._

_Kent bent to gather the papers back into the folder. He looked at her after he'd finished. “If you had remained in Kyoto, both you and your brother would have already been confronted with this version of events as well as the nature of his parentage. You should consider telling him before someone else does.”_

_“Don't tell me how to raise my brother. You don't know anything about Orion except what's in that horrible file, and that's not him. That is not my brother.”_

_Kent stood. “I understand you're having an emotional reaction to this, and I am not surprised, but if you thought that—”_

_“An emotional reaction?” Kokoa shook her head. “You haven't even_ seen _me get emotional. No, you wouldn't. You're a cold, unfeeling robot who doesn't even have the decency to be upset when he's looking at murdered children. You're heartless. There's not a shred of empathy or decency in you. There's reason and logic and nothing else. You couldn't feel anything for anyone if you tried, but you wouldn't even want to_ try.”

_Kent winced. “I was merely telling you what the—”_

_“Don't. Don't even bother. I don't care what reason you have to justify it. There's no justification for being like you are. You... You're wrong. I know my father didn't kill my mother, and you won't convince me that he did. You—get out. Just get out.”_

_Kent shook his head. “I realize that my information is difficult to hear, but I did not—”_

_“Out,” she repeated, shoving him toward the door. “I told you—I don't want to hear it. I don't want to know. I don't. I don't ever want to see you again.”_

_He stopped by the door. “I understand you're upset, but you haven't even—”_

_“I hate you, Kent,” she said. “I hate you, and if you don't leave now, you can explain to your friends at the station when they come to arrest you because I will call and report you if you don't go right now. Don't ever come here again. Or to the cafe. I don't ever want to see you. I mean it.”_

_She opened the door, and he stepped out without a word. She slammed it shut behind him, leaning against it. She slid down to the floor, burying her head in her knees as she wept._


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team tries to make sense of what might have happened to her parents and what that means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reread the last chapter, trying to find a place to separate it into smaller sections, didn't manage it, and left it as it was.
> 
> This is shorter, but this conversation between Ikki and Kent was a long time coming, too.

* * *

“Your parents?”

Orion frowned, looking at his sister in disbelief. That couldn't be right, either. Neesan must have had a bad dream, and she woke up from it feeling guilty. She heard Kent all miserable, poor guy, and she wanted to make him and Ikki feel better, but this wasn't how to do it. She couldn't take the blame for it. There was no way this was Neesan's fault, and it wasn't about their parents.

“That was an accident. You always said it was an accident.”

Sawa and Mine nodded. “That's what you told us, too. That it was an accident.”

“So it's not about our parents. You're just confused because of all this, and you were on the medication that made you do weird stuff and say stuff you wouldn't, but it's not your fault,” Orion insisted, refusing to let that be true. It just couldn't be. Neesan was a good person. She couldn't be responsible for all this, and their parents' death was an accident. “It was an accident, wasn't it?”

“Kent?”

He grimaced, rubbing at his head like he was in pain. “I... We did discuss her parents' death at least once. She had been told it was an accident and given little other information about it.”

Neesan nodded, still looking guilty. Orion didn't believe this. He took her hand, and she looked at him. He almost let go, seeing the shame there. She'd kept this from him, and she knew it was wrong. He could tell that was what it was.

“Okay,” Shin said, “but if all you did was review forensics on an accident, it doesn't explain her reaction or the rest of this.”

“Agreed,” Toma said. “You don't remember anything else besides that it was an accident?”

“The actual details of what I may or may not have reviewed elude me,” Kent said, troubled. “I should consult my notes to see if—but I don't remember anything from after I was released from the hospital, but then if it was that night, I might not have filed it properly. I suppose I should look for it in some nonsensical places and—”

“Kent,” Shin cut in. “Was it an accident or not?” 

Kent's eyes went to Neesan, and she shivered. Orion moved to hold her, and she trembled. He didn't know what to do. He had to fix this somehow, but he didn't know how, couldn't even think of anything to say.

“Again, that was what she'd been told and what she told her brother, but she had some doubts about it. It happened rather quickly, as many accidents do, and the two of them were absent from the house and therefore not harmed but also not witness to these events,” Kent said. “A few discrepancies seemed obvious with her first admission—the time frame and the weather conditions may have been a factor as well—”

“Ken, I realize you may actually be trying to be sensitive about this, but it's not working and it would be better if you just spit it out already.”

“I am not trying to be difficult, Ikkyu,” Kent said. “I am... The night when we first spoke of it was so far removed from the night my parents died that there should be no issues with clarity nor a reason why I would have—at least I understand to a point the other issue now—she did not actually ask me to look into their deaths. I... volunteered after a slight misunderstanding about my previous visit to Kyoto to work with their forensics lab.”

“That explains the 'no favor' part, but not the rest of it.”

“Yes, I know... currently the best explanation for all of it that I do have is that... her parents... they... died in a fire.”

“A fire? You're sure of that?”

Kent looked at Neesan again, but she didn't lift her head to face him. Orion didn't know what she wasn't saying now, but whatever it was, it seemed to scare her. Or hurt her. Or both.

“Well, lacking the specific details of the investigation or any research I might have done myself, yes,” Kent answered. “That night when she had the fever, she admitted to not being sure what happened or what to tell her brother about it because... she had never accepted the official explanation of 'accident' that she'd been given. Given how short the time period from when she left to take her brother to the park and when the apartment had burned, it seemed impossible it was an accident, which led to my own curiosity on the matter, but as the case was Kyoto's, it wasn't something I could just access at will, especially if it had been categorized as an accident.”

“Kyoto?” Sawa asked. “That's where you used to live? Why didn't you ever say that?”

Orion gave her a look. “I was too young to remember that.”

Neesan straightened up and looked at him. “You are and always have been my brother.”

“What?”

She combed through his hair, completely miserable. “I never wanted you to have to hear those rumors, and I didn't want you feeling like you were anything less because of them. And I didn't believe them, not that it mattered because it wouldn't and doesn't change how I feel about you, but... Kent said they did test it... and we don't have the same father.”

Orion stared at her. “But... I don't... what?”

She pulled him close to her. “I told you. It never mattered to me, but those rumors were everywhere after the fire, and this man came to the funeral and... people told me if he was really your father, I should let him raise you, and I refused. I was coming back here for school anyway, but I left Kyoto so you wouldn't have to hear that... so that you could just be my brother. I wanted to keep you safe, though it was selfish of me, too. You were all I had left.”

He hugged her back, holding on tighter than she was. He didn't want to be with anyone else, and that person, even if he was his father, he was a stranger. Neesan had been there when he was small, and even though he couldn't remember their parents, he remembered her. He remembered her walking him to the park and lullabies and that wasn't just after their parents died. He was sure of that.

“Okay, so you wanted to keep him from hearing the rumors,” Shin said, and Orion frowned at him, not sure what to think of the way he said that. “That doesn't explain you, Kent. How the hell did none of us know you were looking into a case in Kyoto?”

“Yeah, that is a little surprising,” Toma agreed, looking at Ikki. “You didn't know? It's not like Kent keeps much from you.”

“I do remember him expressing an interest in going to Kyoto, but he was rather adamant about me not going with him,” Ikki said, shrugging. “It wasn't like he mentioned why, and of course he didn't end up going. He had the trial and then...”

Shin eyed Waka. “You really didn't know about this?”

The other man's lips curved slightly. “Admittedly, it's rare, but sometimes things do escape my notice, and if there was any one of you capable of making that happen, it would be Kent.”

“True,” Ukyo agreed, “but why would you feel the need to hide it, Kent?”

“I don't think he was hiding anything,” Neesan said, looking over at Kent for the first time in a while. He frowned at her. “It's just... he was really busy. He was running tests remotely when he was at my house that time, and then Waka was gone and he was supervising you all, and there was some thing with someone from Kyoto—”

“Oh, now that was funny,” Ikki said, exchanging a grin with Toma. Shin shook his head at both of them, but Ukyo smiled. Even Waka looked like he might have smiled a little.

“Then something happened with a misfiled warrant and then there was... um...” Neesan shivered and pulled Orion closer. He grunted, squeezed a bit too tight. “That man who killed kids... the one that gave Kent a concussion...”

“What?” Sawa and Mine asked, and Orion didn't like the expression on the guys' faces. That was really bad. Really, really bad, wasn't it?

“A coward who killed himself rather than face his trial,” Waka said, his voice cold. “Not the way I wanted to return to work after an extended absence, but my team acquitted itself well. The diligence they showed in finding that man was matched only by their fury over his crimes.”

“It's kind of creepy you're proud of that.”

Waka looked at Mine. “Is it? None of them gave into that anger, instead using it to fuel them to find him faster and make sure his conviction was solid. They did not compromise the case at all.”

“Though we did have to send Kent in to ask the guy questions, and that went a little wrong,” Toma said, grimacing. “We did get that idiot who didn't secure the suspect fired, right?”

Waka smiled, and it was one of his scary ones. Orion wasn't sure that guy just got fired. That must be really bad.

“You did not tell me I'd mentioned any of the details of that case to you,” Kent said to Neesan. “Regardless of my compromised state, that was unacceptable.”

“Ken, you had a severe concussion, the idiot doctors misdiagnosed you, said you were fine, which you weren't, and you still have no memory of that day. You can't blame yourself.”

Neesan bit her lip. “You did say a couple things to make me think you'd found something in my parents' case, but... I got mad at you when you brought up the rumor about Orion, and that was before I knew you had a concussion. You just seemed... really bothered by how you'd reacted to the crime scene.”

Kent stared at her. “What?”

She lowered her head. “You asked me if you were a monster for looking at it so calmly and I... I threw that back in your face when you told me about what happened to my parents. I said you were. A cold unfeeling monster who didn't know how to care about anyone or anything. I didn't want to believe you, so... I said horrible things and made you leave.”

“Neesan,” Orion said, not sure he could believe she'd done that. She looked at him, shaking her head sadly.

“I did it, Orion. I know I did. I was hurt. Upset. My world just... changed all over again, and Kent was there and I... I took it out on him.” She sighed. “We were busy moving to the new apartment the next day, and I didn't even pay attention to anything else, so... I didn't even know about what happened to Kent until two days later.”

“Yeah, a customer left the paper on the table, and she just about fainted when she saw the article,” Mine said. “She was really worried, like we said.”

Sawa nodded. “She went to the hospital to see you, but they didn't let her, and then the papers stopped covering what happened, and when you didn't come back in after two years... we did figure you must have died.”

Kent frowned. “That conversation... was the same day as the bombing?”

Neesan nodded. “When you asked to meet, you suggested that day because you knew I didn't work weekends to be home with Orion, but you had dinner plans which I forgot when you asked were with your parents—you ate with them every Saturday night. And Sunday we moved, and Monday I found out about the bombing.”

“Ken?”

“I remember the part where we quarreled,” Kent said, wincing a little. Neesan grimaced, ashamed all over again. “I do not remember what I told her about the other case, though her throwing me out of the apartment is quite clear.”

“You have a very bad habit of only remembering the bad,” Ikki told him. “But... if it was that day, then that text you sent me... That could have been about what you told her.”

“Yes, it would seem it may well have been.”

“What text?”

Ikki took out his phone, frowning as he did. Shin frowned at him. “You kept it?”

“I took a screenshot because it was weird as hell, it bothered me, and once we knew Ken had gaps in his memory, I figured it might help to have it around just in case more of that day came back to him,” Ikki said, shaking his head. “Here it is: 'If one's convictions change because of an emotional response that defies all logic, there is no reason to admit that the logic presented before was actually a lie, is there?'”

“You even sound pretentious when you text,” Shin muttered, shaking his head. “And seriously, Ikki? Stop trying to sound like Kent. It's creepy.”

Ikki shrugged. “I thought he'd been drinking at the time, but there's more: 'There is a truth that has been told, and that is the truth I repeated. I don't believe it to be true—'”

“You didn't believe it, either,” Neesan said, shaking her head. “You kept trying to talk, but I wouldn't let you, but if I had... you would have told me you didn't believe it, either.”

Kent grimaced. “It is possible, though I hesitate to agree without a clear memory of the conversation in question.”

“Just so we're all on the same page here,” Toma said. “Exactly what did Kent tell you about your parents' death?”

Neesan closed her eyes, pained. “They said it wasn't an accident, that... my father killed my mother because Orion wasn't his, set the apartment on fire, and then killed himself.”

Orion shook his head. “That's not right, is it? It can't be. I didn't—”

“No. I told you, I didn't believe that,” Neesan said, combing through his hair. “My father was not that kind of man. He'd had some trouble at work, so he was upset and they were fighting, but it wasn't about Orion, and my mom... I don't think she had an affair and... he wouldn't have killed her. Or himself. We weren't even gone that long. It... I don't believe that happened any more than I ever believed it was an accident.”

“He stabbed your mother and then himself?”

“You remember something, Kent?”

Kent shook his head, already pacing a little like Orion had seen him do before. “No. No, but... the fires here. Victims tortured, posed, and burned beyond recognition... and a fire that looked like a murder suicide...”

“Damn, that makes a sick sort of sense,” Ikki said, frowning, the same troubled looks passing over the others as well—not Waka, he looked like he was maybe angry? Was he mad at Kent for not telling him about this case?

“Hey, where are you going?” Toma asked, moving to block the doorway. “We're not done with this conversation.”

Kent sighed. “I still do not remember any of the particulars of the case, but if I had something that challenged the accepted version of events—Oh. No. That... that could be—no, it is a disaster, the sort that—I don't—”

“Easy, Ken, you're getting worked up again,” Ikki said. “Just calm down. This is big, but your mind can take some time to catch up to all the possibilities. It's okay. We're up against a clock, no denying that, but it's not as bad as you think it is.”

Kent looked back at him. “Ikkyu, I have no recollection of the time between when the door shut in my face and when I was trapped in the house with my mother. It is entirely possible that any and all evidence I had from this case was with me at the time... and if my last fugue was a real memory and not a delusion or some sort of waking nightmare, I... the killer has all of it. Everything I had that night. It's gone. It was either taken or it burned in the fire.”

“You're right,” Ikki said, not happy about it. “If you had anything on you, the emergency crew would have found it, and they didn't. I was there when they pulled you out and—no. There wasn't anything. Hell, there was barely anything left of you.”

Kent winced, and Ikki did at the same time, both of them hurting. Orion wished there was some way to help, but there wasn't one, was there?

“Kyoto will still have records,” Waka said. “Still, if there is anywhere you might have your own back up—as you are far too prudent not to have one—it would be here, would it not?”

Kent nodded. “I would think if I had one, the copy would be in my lab, though I do not remember seeing anything like it in the past two years. Then again... given my reaction to all things fire, it's possible if I did come across a case file for one, I shut it away where I wouldn't see it and did my best to forget it was there.”

He pushed past Toma, who didn't stop him that time, going out into the hall.

“He blames himself again,” Orion said. He looked over at Waka, thinking of anyone that man would know. “It's not really his fault, is it? It's not like he wouldn't have done something sooner if he remembered, but he didn't. His parents died, and he got hurt really bad, and he... lost that memory somehow.”

Waka nodded. “It was not intentional, though that is of little comfort to anyone now.”

* * *

“Hold on,” Toma said, putting up a hand. “I know that it makes a lot of sense and is scary as hell if this is what we think it is—that this creep started back in Kyoto and killed their parents, then started working here and targeted Kent when he stumbled onto that murder—but are we even sure that's what this really is?”

He saw frowns around the room. Waka considered it and spoke first. “It is possible it is not. The yakuza did take responsibility for what happened to Kent's parents, after all, and while their daughter argues passionately against it, it may well be that the version of the events the Kyoto authorities accepted as true is indeed the truth. If Kent had found something that contradicted that story and could prove it forensically, that is different and yet still not conclusive proof that this killer is the same one or acted because of Kent's interest in it.”

“Yeah, but too much of it connects to really think otherwise, right? I mean, sure, we have that creep headmaster and the abusive tutor as other possibilities, but does anyone really think it's not connected now?” Shin asked. He frowned, turning back to Kokoa. “Wait, you were sure it was because of this case Kent got targeted. What makes you so sure? Did you remember more than you said again?”

“Hey,” Orion objected immediately. “She didn't lie about anything before, and it's not like she didn't tell you about our parents as soon as she remembered, right, Neesan? You didn't hold it back.”

“I've told you about everything that wasn't... really personal,” Kokoa said. “I left out a few of the memories I got back before about things I did with Orion that no one cared about and... No, I didn't say anything about the one part of that horrible conversation I got back before. When Kent pushed Orion that first night, I... I said similar things to my memory, but at that point, all I had was my words to Kent. I didn't know I was saying it about their deaths, just that... he'd told me I should tell Orion, so when I yelled at him, I told him he had no business telling me how to raise Orion because... of all that other stuff. And I... suppose I didn't say all that went along with that night we first talked about it when I was sick... Kent left us food because neither of us was in a state to cook, but of course I... yelled at him for treating us like a charity and said some awful things to him then, too... and I didn't say that I made him agree to let me teach him to cook so that it was... equal and not a favor. That part... does it even matter?”

“Wait a minute,” Sawa said. “You never told us you taught Kent to cook. Or that he left you food when you were sick.”

“I told you I didn't want to admit to that or accept charity,” Kokoa said. “It... There's been plenty of people who told me I couldn't take care of Orion, and even when Kent was being kind, it always seemed... condescending. The brilliant man was taking pity on the pathetic waitress and her brother, and it was so hard to accept anything from him, even when I knew he didn't mean it like that. And sometimes he did, and that was infuriating as well. Him using logic to justify something so insulting... I did want to smack him or dump coffee on him or...”

“Yeah, we get it,” Shin said. “I'm still not sold on why you're sure it was your parents' death that did it. We didn't tell you about the way the bodies were staged. Where's the connection? Did you actually remember any of your time in that warehouse?”

She shook her head. “Not besides when Orion woke me to get me out of there, no. I... There's a voice from nowhere, I don't know it, I don't know who said it or why or when, but... that voice... it said... _I finally got the one that got away._ And that's terrifying, but I don't know if it's even real.”

She started shaking again, and her brother glared at Shin. Toma knew it was harsh, but they had to know this stuff. Still, he could think of a few better ways to coax it out of her. Shin didn't need to force it like that.

“It's true that could mean this killer thought you eluded him by not being there when he killed your parents—if he did—and coming here to live, but we cannot be certain with only that to go on,” Waka said. “We will need a lot more than that.”

“I think I've given Ken enough space for now,” Ikki said. “I'll go see if I can speed up his search in his lab.”

Toma watched him go, trying to figure out what the hell the rest of them were supposed to do now. Crowding in on Kent wouldn't help much, but without that other case to go on, what did they have? They'd been planning on having Ikki look into the financial records to track the headmaster, but he'd already left. Ukyo could look through his pictures, but that still left Toma and Shin twiddling their thumbs.

“So... Um... are we still in danger?” Sawa asked, frowning. “Was that fire at the cafe about us? Or just because this guy is... sick? Or because she worked there?”

Toma grimaced. They still didn't know who the target had been back there. If this thing was about the girl, then the guy might be after her friends or her brother, but if it was about Kent, then it was probably about Ikki, but then again... Ukyo was always calling the team family, and they were Waka's one weakness, right? So it still could have been any of them—or all of them.

“We still don't know, so for now, we're going to keep you here. This place is pretty much a fortress and we should all be safe here.”

“Even if someone tries to set this place on fire, too?”

"At the risk of a very poor joke," Toma began, "I'm pretty sure between Kent and the former owner, this place could withstand a nuclear bomb."

* * *

“And here I thought you kept this place in perfect order, not a beaker out of place,” Ikki said as he walked into the lab, eying the mess surrounding Ken with amusement. This really wasn't like Ken, and it wasn't something that he'd just done as a frantic search, either.

A dead plant, a scattering of notes, and lots of books spanned the counter, looking like Kent had gone through all of them in the kind of cram session that belonged to their days in university, the long ago time when Ken had been working nonstop on his thesis and barely left the mathematics lab for weeks at a time.

“If I were at all organized in my home or my mind, we would not be in the mess we are now.”

Ikki winced. He knew that tone, and it had to be stopped before Ken did something self-destructive. Last time it was just beakers in the lab, but that could have been a hell of a lot worse. “Look, if you're going to be moody, I'm going to have to get out the alcohol, and then where would be, hmm?”

“You're not amusing or distracting.” Ken's grip on the counter turning his hands white. “It just won't _stop._ There's nowhere to avoid it. Every little thing—but she's not a little thing, nothing like that—she's—”

“You're in love with her.”

Ken shook his head. “Don't be foolish. I don't even know what love is. She and I argued, constantly. It wasn't that kind of a sentiment, if one was even involved at all. And even if it was, I failed her so completely that... but she... I don't understand.”

Ikki glanced toward the door. None of the others should interrupt them right now, which was for the best because Ken was in no state to deal with any harsh remarks or even teasing about what he might have felt—no, what he _felt,_ Ikki was sure of it by now after having watched Kent interact with Kokoa. He'd suspected it since the hospital, with the way Kent reacted to seeing her when his mind was clear—that laughter when she said she wanted to dump coffee on his head, that smile—that gave away so much to someone who knew Ken well.

Ikki hadn't said anything. He hadn't wanted to, not when that went to one inevitable conclusion—this killer had targeted the woman Ken loved—but he couldn't hold back forever. Even if Ken wanted to deny his feelings, this woman was in danger, and it could still be just because of how Ken felt about her, not her parents' death like she thought.

Trouble was, how the hell did some stranger know about that when Ikki hadn't even known about her? He knew about the restaurant, of course, and that Ken went there every day. He'd even gone a few times, but he must have managed to be there during those times when she wasn't working because he was sure he'd have seen it if he'd heard them back then. She had been there when Ken got concussed, but Ikki hadn't even noticed her then, as focused on Ken as he'd been that day.

He couldn't be sure if he'd seen any other signs of it before, but then given how cute she was, he probably would have flirted with her, Ken would have been annoyed, and it would have seemed like any normal time they ate out together. 

Even now, here, having heard what they had, he wasn't sure if the others knew. Waka did, he'd probably realized it back when Kent defended her in the kitchen this morning. Ukyo had probably seen it—Ikki was pretty sure he'd heard that camera go when Ken was offering her the sandwich, but it might just have been Ukyo finding beauty in some random moment like he always did. Sawa seemed to believe there was something there, but Mine didn't. Ikki didn't know if Shin or Toma had noticed—Shin would try to ignore it even if he had, and it could go either way with Toma.

“How much time did you spend with her outside of the cafe?”

Ken frowned. “What gives you the impression I spent any time with her outside the cafe at all?”

“I could take that reaction alone as a yes, but you know we're all aware of at least two days where you saw her outside the cafe,” Ikki reminded him. Ken winced. “Was it much more than that? And before you get mad, this has a point. I'm not even trying to pry into your feelings right now. I'd like to, I won't deny that, but we have much bigger things to worry about here. How likely is it someone saw her with you?”

Ken let go of the counter, turning around and leaning against it as he thought. “Most of our interactions were on a... more professional level, as customer and waitress, nothing more.”

“Not all of them, though.”

“No. We... We encountered each other on our individual paths home, accidentally bumping into each other when they converged. That is to say... she bumped into me. I had heard someone coming down the alley and waited for them to pass.” Ken closed his eyes. “To think we once thought of those people as a threat...”

Ikki couldn't bring himself to laugh, even if it might pretend things weren't as bad as they were. “Oh, for the days of simple crimes, no yakuza, and idiots that convict themselves, right?”

Ken snorted. “It is a bit ironic that their attempts to intimidate me ended up giving us the confession we needed, though at the time, they did seem more of a real danger.”

Ikki nodded. That was the first time they'd seen any real retaliation against Ken. Most of the time, the targets were Shin or Toma, who'd been close to the criminals undercover and 'betrayed' them. That alone made it seem scarier than it was. “So you met up with her at least that once besides taking her home when she was sick, when she taught you to cook, and when you told her about her family. Is that all of it?”

Ken shook his head. “I would like to say so, to end this conversation and your ridiculous idea that I—but I cannot say that. She was working double shifts while her brother was on a school trip. I... made myself available to escort her home as it was well after dark when the cafe closed and she walked home. It was simply the logical thing to do as it was not safe but I was some measure of protection. Even without any real skill, I tend to dissuade people by my height alone.”

That was certainly true. Ikki'd seen bullies turn tail and run when they were younger because Kent stood up, and the irony of that never failed to amuse him because Ken had been about to give in to what they wanted, as logical arguments had already failed. It worked on criminals, too, and they weren't above using it to intimidate a lot of the little fish they needed to hook the big ones.

“You do that a lot?”

“Only a handful of times. She resumed her former schedule, we returned to our previous level of interaction...”

“What was that? You just remembered something, didn't you?” Ikki asked. “What, was someone at the cafe mad about you two spending time together?”

Ken shook his head. “While her colleagues would usually say stuff to her along the lines of, 'why do you even bother talking to him' whenever we interacted, I saw no signs of jealousy from them, not even contempt for our relations. Amusement and perhaps some frustration, but nothing suggesting the level of malice needed for these new crimes.”

“And she never mentioned... a boyfriend or ex-boyfriend who would have been jealous over her being with another man?”

“Aside from the fact that it was very much not like that between us, she was focused on caring for her brother and would frequently refuse her friends' invitations when they conflicted with his needs. She quarreled with them over 'lacking a life of her own' and not taking any time for herself. She did not appear to have any romantic entanglements or want any, as she did refuse some other customers that made overtures to her,” Ken said, and Ikki figured that wince had to be his logical friend acknowledging his gratitude for that. Ken was far too logical to be comfortable with feelings for an involved woman—not that he was comfortable with his feelings for her when she wasn't in a relationship. “I know of no one of particular interest to her in that way, but you should be asking her or her friends about that, not me. Exactly what point is it you think such a question has?”

“We haven't disproved the idea of a stalker,” Ikki said. “And you would have noticed if anyone seemed to have an issue with you spending time with her.”

“I...” Ken looked down at his feet. “I did not notice anyone, but I must admit to a certain level of... distraction when speaking to her. Our arguments could make it seem as though we were the only people in the room, and when we walked together, we would reach her apartment building without me noting that I'd passed mine, with time having gone... too quickly. That sense was... frequent, given the nature and frequency of our disagreements.”

Ikki nodded. “And this was only a handful of times?”

“If you are insisting on an exact figure, I refuse to give you one,” Ken said. “I have no desire to be teased or humiliated or—”

“Ken, she doesn't hate you. I know you've lived the last two years believing that because that was the only part of that conversation you remembered, but that's not what I saw or heard up there.”

“Whatever her contrition in the face of my apparent demise, it does not change her overall impression of me or her feelings prior to learning of the bombing. She did not like me before, and pretending otherwise changes nothing. Do not attempt to confuse these emotions or think that you are being kind to tell me that she feels pity for me.”

Ikki shook his head. “I don't think what she feels is pity, but even if you're not willing to accept that, this isn't me teasing you. If I were teasing you, you'd know it. Ken, how likely is it that someone observing the two of you at a distance would know you had any kind of friendship?”

Ken took off his glasses, rubbing his nose. “I am uncertain. We did speak on an almost daily basis, she was usually the only one to serve me, and those other incidents have already been taken the wrong way by you and others, but I do not know what a stranger would think seeing us. Why?”

“Still trying to figure out if our killer followed her to you or vice versa,” Ikki said. “If this guy murdered her parents but also wanted her and her brother dead, you might just be a casualty of his obsession with her.”

“No. Not if what I remember of that night now is true. He wanted me dead for my interference. I... Ikkyu, if I truly believed that her parents had been murdered, that was not a conclusion I reached listening to her impassioned speech when I told her the facts of the case. I would have known that before I went to see her again. And...”

“You chose to lie to her, didn't you? You were counting on her getting angry over their idea of the truth and looking no further because you were trying to protect her,” Ikki said. “Ken, you knew, didn't you? You knew how far gone this monster was.”

Ken put a hand to his head. “No matter the level of my... concern for her, I would not have hesitated to inform proper channels about a killer who had gone undetected. And if I knew of the one fire and the staged manner of their deaths—”

“You'd have gone looking for other similar crimes, and you'd have found this bastard or at least enough of his crimes to start us looking into it,” Ikki said, frowning. “Okay, I had thought that the reason you hadn't told anyone about this was because of her, that you had kept the little side project to yourself because you knew what we'd do if we knew how you felt about her, but... that's not a reason to keep this to yourself.”

“I started looking into it while Waka was out of contact.”

“Which means... you'd have gone above him when you were sure of what you knew,” Ikki said. “Ken, are we sure that's what you did, because if it is—”

“Admittedly, I should remember it, and I don't, not any of the details of this case, but it certainly looks like I must have made an enemy of the superintendent.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team works on their new theory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part was a bit hard to navigate as the reasons weren't all making sense, but I tried to make them a bit clearer.
> 
> And I left in the painful flashback instead of holding it for the next chapter.

* * *

“Ukyo,” Ikki said, and he looked over at the doorway with a frown. Should they be worried about Kent again? That incident in the hall was still quite fresh in his mind—in everyone's, he thought—and while Kent seemed to have pulled himself together again, that did seem to be a temporary thing. He should not be alone right now, nor should he really be working, even if that was what he did before and felt like he had to do. “You have those pictures of all the crowds, right?”

Ukyo nodded. “Of course. I haven't sorted through all of the more recent ones—that was part of what I intended to do once I was here, but that hasn't been possible.”

Ikki nodded. “I know. I'm not expecting that. I just need to see some of them. A lot of them, actually, but I'll explain that later.”

Ukyo felt both reassured and uneasy at the same time. If Ikki was asking for them, they knew something, but the way he hadn't come out and said what it was meant that it could not be a good thing. “Did Kent find something in his files?”

Ikki hesitated, but then he shook his head. “No, not yet. We just... have a bit of a half-formed theory at the moment, and your pictures might have be partial proof even with all that Ken's still missing.”

“We can take this downstairs to the lab,” Shin said. He eyed the women for a second. “And I suppose they can go up to that room on the third floor.”

“Why does that sound like a bad, scary thing?” Orion asked, frowning. “Or is it just because you're keeping stuff from us? Shouldn't we be allowed to know since we're all in danger?”

“Were this a typical investigation, you would not have been half as involved as you already have been, nor would you be kept at the same place,” Waka said. “What you know now is far more than most victims or witnesses have been told.”

“Uh...”

“And while Shin says it all dark and scary, the room he's talking about is actually the fun room,” Toma said. “The entertainment center—this rich guy had it designed to house a personal theater and so the video equipment alone is impressive, but since this place doubled as our headquarters for a while and we got banned from the office after the Pikachu thing, we kind of added a few things to it, mostly thanks to Ikki.”

Ikki shrugged. “I see no reason why we can't put Ken's space to good use, and you two pout so well when you're beaten at air hockey. Or billiards. Or darts. Or—”

“If you say one more time how good you are with your hands, I am going to punch you,” Shin said. He shook his head. “Point is, it's a game room with a giant television, and none of you will get bored up there while we work.”

“And if you're Ikki fans, there's a copy of the whole boxed set complete with the deluxe behind-the-scenes documentary series, too,” Toma said, grinning at Ikki, who glared back at him. “Ikki spends most of it drunk when he's not on camera, does a lot of embarrassing stuff, and if that's not enough to sell you on seeing it, there's even a few cameos from Kent, who tried and failed to stay off screen while tutoring Ikki.”

“Really?” Orion asked, not sounding a bit like he believed it.

Ikki smiled. “Well, I'm always photogenic, and the camera loves me no matter what, so they would film me just about anywhere and everywhere, even doing my classwork. They edited out most of Ken's lectures, but they did keep a few things... like when I would randomly ask him for the answer to a calculation he shouldn't have been able to do in his head while we were in the middle of a take or... Well, they did find our epic math duels quite hilarious. Even Ken got into the drama with them, though no matter what that documentary says, I never cried over math.”

Shin snorted. “Sure you don't.”

Toma smiled. “Ukyo has pictures.”

“Out of context, they prove nothing,” Ikki said. Then he sobered up again. “And speaking of pictures, Ukyo, why don't you get them ready to go through? Toma can get our guests set up with my greatest hits, and Shin can stop glowering because we're not doing anything.”

“Shut up, Ikki.”

“I don't want to be carried again,” Kokoa said. She fidgeted, and Ukyo wondered if she was in pain again. She hadn't stayed asleep for very long, even though they'd all heard her when she'd taken her medication. “Can I... just stay here? If I can't be a part of knowing what's happening, I don't want a distraction, and to tell the truth—I am tired of watching Ikki's show. It was the only thing Orion liked as a kid, and I can quote it from memory I've seen it that many times.”

“Ah ha,” Ikki said. “The true answer comes. Now I know why you're immune to my many charms.”

She flushed pink, and Ukyo took a quick picture, thinking she looked quite sweet like that, though he knew few people liked their pictures taken when they were embarrassed. “I never admitted that to anyone before.”

“No, you really didn't,” Orion said. “I had no idea you hated watching Ikki with me. You should have told me.”

She shrugged. “They made you so happy, so I didn't mind. Or I told myself I didn't.”

That was worth another picture when she smiled at her brother, touching his cheek. Ukyo thought they made a beautiful family, full of love, and it was all the better for them both that she was being honest about her feelings now.

“I'm not leaving you alone,” Orion told her. “We can stay here, can't we? If you're all going downstairs, then we'll just... stay here.”

Waka looked at Ikki. “It may be worth having them review the photographs in question.”

“Can I?” Kokoa asked. “I know... not everything has come back, but... I'd like to be doing something, and maybe I might remember more looking at them. I don't know.”

“Me, too,” Orion said. “I saw that laughing guy, and he could be in one of the pictures.”

“And we might have seen it if there was a stalker,” Sawa said. “I'd like to help if we could.”

Mine nodded. “I don't know that we can, but it's super scary not being able to do anything.”

Ikki hesitated, looking to Waka with a frown. “I know we talked about that before, but... I am not looking for someone in the crowd itself.”

Ukyo himself was confused. Wasn't that what Ikki had asked him for? Why would he say he didn't want that now?

Waka tensed. “I see. That is Kent's latest theory, is it? Yes, I suppose that makes sense. Very well.”

“What theory?” Orion asked. “What is going on now?”

“I realize you can't tell us,” Kokoa said, “but when you do exclude us like this, all you do is scare us, and if that's why we're being excluded in the first place, it's pointless. None of us wants to sit around and have you save us. We're all capable of doing something to save ourselves, even me. And if Kent was up here, he'd tell you there's no point in arguing with me.”

Orion tugged on her arm, trying to stop her, but Ukyo had to take another picture. That was it, there. That was Kokoa's true spirit and strength showing. Now that she had more of her memories back, her confidence had returned as well, and Ukyo could see how this woman had gone toe-to-toe with someone as smart and stubborn as Kent and won.

Waka seemed to recognize the same thing. “I see no reason why you can't look at the pictures to see if you recognize anyone.”

“You're still not going to tell us what your theory is, though, are you?”

Waka's smile was rather cruel, Ukyo thought. “It is not my theory.”

* * *

“Okay, enough,” Shin said as soon as the lab door shut behind him. “What is this theory you two are trying to hide from everyone? You'd better have a good one after all this.”

“Good is a subjective term, dependent entirely on definition,” Kent said, looking up from a stack of papers, his skin pale like he might be ready to pass out or freak out on them again. Shin grimaced, not wanting that.

“Most of your cases are far from ideal situations, but this one does appear to be worse than most if what you suspect is true,” Waka said, and Shin felt that almost like a sucker punch. Not like they hadn't been on edge since the fire, like it didn't get worse after knowing how this connected to Kent, and then they were almost killed, but it was worse even than they knew. Shin did not want to hear that.

“Ukyo,” Ikki said, “we still need the pictures, but... only pull up the ones with officers in them.”

Toma swore. “Tell me this does not mean what I think it means.”

“Our killer is a cop,” Shin said. He needed something to punch, some way to outlet his frustration. How the hell was Kent, of all people, calm about this? 

“And you think he was at all of the crime scenes?” Ukyo asked, troubled. “I can tell you now—there was at least one man who was at all of them, but to suspect one of our own as the killer... you have a good reason for this, don't you?”

Kent gave a slow nod. “Even if I chose not to mention any side projects to the rest of you for... any number of personal reasons, if I suspected that someone had gotten away with murder, if I had something close to proof or even enough doubt... I would have looked for other similar crimes and may well have discovered an established pattern. And if I did—”

“There's no way in hell you sat on that,” Shin said. Kent was the one that followed closest to protocol of any of them, and he wouldn't have found silence on something like that logical. He might keep it quiet until he had proof, that was his logical side talking, but logic would still say that if this was possible, someone should know about it, so he'd have at least told someone about the theory. And if he hadn't told Ikki...

“This was during the time when I was away,” Waka said, answering that question before anyone could ask it. “And without any means to contact me, you would have passed this information onto my superior.”

“Oh, hell.” Toma shook his head. “Guess you weren't entirely wrong about someone wanting revenge against Waka.”

Waka smiled faintly. He wasn't amused, none of them were, but it was almost reassuring that Kent's instincts weren't that far off the map, either. He might not have had all the facts or clear enough memories, but none of them could deny how much their superintendent hated Waka.

“Are we sure you gave it to him?” Shin asked. Kent knew this guy hated their boss and resented their team. “Yeah, your first choice was out of reach, but you had enough authority to keep us going for that month Waka was out.”

Kent closed his eyes. “We are, of course, still going on a lot of supposition as I have yet to remember anything related to her case besides the initial conversation about it—but for all that man's many faults, he was my superior and his actions seemed to support the actual work we do if not us personally. He did seem dedicated to upholding the law... if slightly inept and inflexible about how he did so. I had no real reason not to give him the information to at least _start_ the investigation, knowing full well Waka would take it over when he returned and do it properly.”

“Ken has a point. None of us suspected the superintendent of anything other than being an ass before now.”

“An irritating side effect of bureaucracy,” Waka agreed. “If I had believed him a true threat, he would not be in office now. You know this.”

Ukyo frowned. “Are we supposed to believe that you missed this as well?”

“We don't know that this had anything to do with the superintendent,” Kent said. “It is... I can follow the logical progression of what I would likely have done at the time, but I cannot say what I did or did not do, and it is possible there was nothing more to her parents' death than the murder-suicide. I am not certain. I can only do what I would do with any other theory—attempt to prove or disprove it with what evidence I do have. To that end, Toma...”

“What?”

Kent held out the stack of papers. “Please go through these. I started them but found I could not finish it myself.”

“You know, if this is payback for any of the stuff I said earlier, you really don't need to... Wait. Am I looking at—”

“Transcripts of the threats I received, yes.”

Toma frowned. “You kept a file of them? What the hell? Why would you do that to yourself? Were you trying to punish yourself or something?”

Kent shook his head. “None of us saw a true threat in these before, nor in the time when I received other harassment in the past, but those men incriminated themselves on tape, and it was possible it would happen again. It is not like I got up every day and read them to torment myself. I haven't looked at these since... I need you to go through them to see if you can spot any that seem different from the others, ones that might show some signs of... of someone other than the yakuza being behind it.”

Shin frowned. “You think that this guy did more than just offer services to the yakuza? That he set them up to take the fall for what happened to your family?”

Kent swallowed. “I... yes. Maybe. We... I have been trying to understand why my memory seems to lack anything tied to the case despite remembering other interactions with Kokoa and other cases around the same time—aside from the day I received that concussion, which is still completely blank—and I had to wonder if there might have been... some conditioning. And even if there is not... This killer seems to have some interest or perhaps even... derives pleasure... in going unnoticed for his crimes.”

“Agreed,” Waka said. “These first fires here ensured the victims would not be easily identified, and if he also used the same method to obscure his crimes—making them appear as accidents or suicides—then he would seem to be someone who had no interest in being caught.”

Shin could see that, but it didn't fit all the same. “Then why the girl and the taunt to Kent?”

“Kent found him when no one else did, and that is something unforgivable to this man's mind,” Waka said, making Kent shudder. He leaned against the counter, gripping it so hard his hands went white. “That is what that memory implied, isn't it?”

Kent forced himself to nod. “He said... if I had left it alone, she wouldn't have had to die.”

“Wait, you think this was about the girl upstairs and not his mom? She's still alive. This guy had two years to go after her and only did it now.”

“The larger game being played still seems to be centered on Kent,” Waka said. “I am not so certain she was meant to be found right away, even if he set that fire that day so Kent would see it. Her younger brother may well have interfered with this man's plans, finding her and ensuring her survival.”

Shin grimaced. “Are you telling me we're dealing with a psychotic who sees Kent as some kind of archrival or something?”

“Perhaps.”

“Yes,” Ikki said, and Kent frowned at him. “Think about it. This guy who thinks he's pretty hot stuff, getting way with murder, finding ways to cover up his crimes and go undetected all this time, he's got it made until Ken here with his big brain takes one case—one case—and uses that to uncover all of the other crimes he's committed. And he does it while acting team leader and head of the forensics lab while working other cases. This guy took a huge hit to the ego, and he can't let it go.”

“You exaggerate my importance and my accomplishments,” Kent said. “We don't know that I found anything about that case, and as for being acting team leader—you all do your jobs well with little management necessary and I was only managing the lab remotely at that point. It worked well on its own for the same reason—efficient standards were in place that ensured everyone's job was covered with minimal mistakes. I did nothing so extraordinary.”

“I don't know, Waka. You think it's nothing to manage us?”

“All tendencies toward delinquent behavior aside, if you did not do your jobs well, you would not have them,” Waka said. “Kent is correct in that regard, though as usual he undervalues his own contributions. Then again, you all do to some degree. Ukyo believes that since all he does is take pictures, he has no real business being here. Ikki starts to doubt he is more than the public face the department demands of him. Toma believes he is only there to back up Shin, and Shin still can't see himself as anyone but a killer's son.”

Shin glared at him, ready to walk out right now. Why was it that all anyone ever saw was his father? Even now, that was all it ever was.

“Even now you're misunderstanding me,” Waka said. “I said you don't see your worth. The rest of us could not and do not care about your father. Only you do.”

Shin grunted. “This isn't the time for a warm and fuzzy heart-to-heart conversation.”

“No. It is not.”

“I think I have something that will quickly destroy all the goodwill in this room,” Ukyo said, reaching to turn on the screen on the wall and send a picture to it. “I told you I saw someone at all the crime scenes. This officer was at all of them.”

“The hell,” Toma said. “That's the jackass that didn't restrain the child murderer. That idiot almost got Kent killed.”

* * *

“I had assumed all the officers there were simply doing their duty,” Ukyo said, and Ikki could tell he was now blaming himself for not telling them sooner. He gave Ken a glance full of remorse, begging for forgiveness.

“I thought you got that guy fired,” Shin said, and Ikki snorted. It wasn't like Shin to sugarcoat it—they'd all figured that guy got a lot worse than fired. Waka had been murderous himself between that horror show of a case and what happened to Ken.

Waka glared at the screen with barely restrained fury. “His family has influence, and contrary to your jokes and rumors, I am not all powerful.”

“Are you now thinking his actions that day were part of a larger conspiracy?” Ken asked, sitting down on the floor. “He would still be vulnerable even if he kept his job, and he may believe he has reason to resent the team depending on exactly what you did after I was injured, especially if he was acting under orders. Anyone who would accept such a task would have to be rather idiotic themselves, but then... I do anger people quite frequently.”

Ikki winced. “Ken, you are starting to sound a bit—”

“I am fine for the present, and you know I will not take those pills unless I have no other recourse. I have already seen to it that I took the regular dose of anti-anxiety medication, though it really feels useless at the moment.”

Ikki knew that. “If it gets any worse—”

“You will know, but none of you need bother wasting any energy telling me to take off and rest. Not only is my insomnia chronic, I have yet to strip my bed and wash the sheets, which currently reek of vomit and would make sleep impossible. As long as I am not in a fugue state, I can be of some use, and I cannot afford to be idle when it would seem this whole crisis is of my creation.”

“No, it's the psychotic killer who is playing a game with you,” Ikki said. “Not you. You didn't ask for this. You did the right thing. And yeah, someone's punishing you for it, but that still doesn't make it wrong. You know that.”

Ken closed his eyes. “We still don't know that I actually did anything.”

“Stop feeling sorry for yourself,” Shin said, and Ikki glared at him. That was not what Ken was doing at all. “You did. We know you did. Only question is why we're hearing about it now and not two years ago.”

Ikki knew part of it, but he wasn't about to tell Shin that, and he knew that Ken's confusion and embarrassment over his feelings for Kokoa could not be the only reason that he hadn't said anything to the others.

“If the superintendent asked you not to say anything—”

“That's why you didn't say anything?” Shin demanded. “That jerk?”

“If Kent was under orders not to speak of it, which does seem likely given that man's inflated sense of worth, his tendency to seek the glory of the arrest instead of the quiet acknowledgment of a job well done, he probably wanted to keep a case this large to himself,” Waka said. “Once again, Gatou proves himself an idiot.”

Ikki almost wanted to smile at that. Too bad none of this was really funny. This killer was still out there, had gone after Ken at least once and left him for dead, had tried to kill the rest of them this afternoon, and would kill again soon. Ikki was sure of it. He'd been denied what he wanted this afternoon, so they should probably expect another fire in the night.

“Quick question,” Toma said. “How many of these did you actually listen to?”

Ikki frowned. That was a dangerous question. “Why does it matter how many of them he heard?”

“Because some of them are straight up yakuza posturing, and others are...” Toma stopped, looking like he was having trouble finding the right words. “They read like they came from a straight up stalker. Some have descriptions of what you did that day—and they definitely knew you were eating at that cafe a lot—and others talk about watching your house while you slept. I see you all the time, day and night, you can't hide from me, that's the sort of thing this one keeps saying, and there's a few... creative ways of how they'd kill you and where.”

Ken put his head on his knees. “I suppose one even says in a fire, making sure I burn?”

“You did read them,” Ikki said, sure of that much. He felt sick knowing that, but worse was that Ken thought that wasn't a real threat. He'd heard the stupid ones, the bragging from the yakuza. Nothing like that one.

“A few minutes ago, yes, I read several. I have no specific memory of any like that from before, but given the rather graphic nature of some of them, I am not surprised,” Ken said. “I... I did take the threats seriously enough to alter my routine and not go near places I usually did or by paths I used before, and I did not meet my parents for dinner at all until the trial was done. I was not so worried I could not function, though I was at least... somewhat wary.”

“Yeah, but from the way Toma looks right now, if we'd heard those threats, we'd have been a hell of a lot more worried for you,” Shin said. “Were you keeping them from us?”

Toma flipped through the papers. “Maybe not. Some of the worst came after the trial started and you had already broken your phone and changed your number.”

“I broke my phone?”

“Stepped on it while you were concussed,” Ikki told him, and Ken sighed. “Look, that's not really the important thing. What we're trying to figure out is how aware you were of these messages.”

“And yet a threat, no matter how terrible the words, can be said with a bright smile and a show of friendship,” Waka said. “There should be audio files for them as well, and if they were the ones you three mocked—”

“That guy was impossible to take seriously,” Ikki said. “He reminded me of that actor from that god-awful reincarnation arc on the series who was the dead god reborn who'd dance around whenever the cameras stopped and refused to break character no matter what. He interrupted my lessons one time, named Ken his successor by fire, started performing a ritual to claim him, and got incense everywhere. It smelled for weeks, Ken walked out and refused to come back until filming was over, and I still see that dance in my worst nightmares.”

“Yeah, thanks to you and that documentary, the rest of us do, too,” Toma said, shuddering. “I still don't see how he got hired in the first place.”

“I don't know, and I don't want to know,” Shin said, shaking his head. “Just stay on topic for once.”

“In Ikki's defense, the reincarnation arc is probably the worst in the entire series, and it should have gotten the show canceled even before Ikki left it,” Kokoa said. “Even when Orion was at his most obsessed with the show, he wouldn't watch those episodes.”

“They were really, really bad,” Orion agreed. “Sorry, Ikki.”

Ken rose from the floor. “What are you doing back down here? After what those stairs did to you earlier, how could you do that again?”

“I had Orion to help me, the painkillers are still kind of working, and I knew I left out something really important that I shouldn't have earlier,” she said, though she did wince as she came further into the room, worrying her brother. “I didn't think it should wait.”

“Someone would have gone back to ask you about the photographs and you know there's not a decent chair in here,” Ken said, frowning at her. “And my room is—”

“I am sorry about that, I really am,” she said, giving Ken her best puppy dog eyes, which was both comical and extremely effective, and Ikki was sure Ukyo was sneaking some pictures again. “And for now, I can just sit on the counter until I get my strength back.”

She smiled up at Ken, and he shook his head, muttering under his breath as he lifted her, but Ikki could only smile at their exchange. She had Ken right where she wanted him, she really did. Orion watched them with a slight frown, and Ikki almost laughed. For all the kid had been afraid of people flirting with his sister, he really didn't know what to do when she flirted first.

Ken set her on the counter, next to his plants, and she looked over at them, smiling. She reached out and touched the fern before stopping herself.

“Oops. Your experiment.”

“It's not important,” Ken told her. “Why did you come down here?”

She grimaced, fiddling with Ken's shirt she wore before she spoke. “I wasn't sure if you remembered it because you said you didn't remember much, and you were worried about it, but all you showed me was a file, so... I don't think you had it that day, but I don't know what it was because you never told me. Still... you told me Kyoto had kept some of the physical evidence and you'd asked for it.”

Ken blinked. “Physical evidence? From your parents' death?”

She nodded. “You didn't say what it was, just that... the request was caught in what you called 'bureaucratic nonsense and red tape.'”

Ken put a hand to his head. “I don't... Of course I could have asked for it, very likely did if I knew it existed. When was this?”

She frowned. “You don't remember telling me that? It was the day you gave me the math book for Orion and I made you agree to let me teach you how to cook because I refused to be a charity.”

“I gave you a math book?”

 _“Math Even a Kiwi Could Understand,”_ Orion said. “My math teacher this year wanted my copy of it. She thought it was funny. Maybe you should meet her. You might like each other.”

Kokoa frowned. “Orion, Ms. Tabata is—”

“A nice lady who likes math? Hmm, I might like to meet her,” Ikki said. “That is, if she really likes math. I find so many women tell me they like math just because I do, and none of them ever mean it. Is she cute?”

Shin snorted. “She thought Kent's book was funny. Her judgment is clearly flawed, Ikki.”

Orion's eyes went wide. “Kent wrote that?”

“You're the one who told him to write the sequel about a kumquat, aren't you, Shin?”

Shin shrugged. “So? I still don't know why he picked a kiwi.”

“Liking math is no indication of compatibility. My father was a mathematics researcher, and he married a lawyer,” Ken said. “Furthermore, they both had occasion to introduce me to a great many people interested in mathematics, feeling as they did that my genetics would find my ideal match as long as they were given opportunity—”

“You didn't actually like any of them, did you?” Kokoa asked. “I mean... Love isn't logical. I know we had that conversation before, and it wouldn't have been determined by genetics anyway, but you... didn't actually fall for anyone, did you?”

Ken frowned. “No, that was the point of my statement. Simply liking mathematics never made any of them a suitable companion.”

“Well, there's always—”

“Shut up, Toma.”

“More importantly,” Waka's voice quickly ended the fight about to start between the brothers. “If there was physical evidence in the case, where is it now? Even considering what happened to your parents, I should have heard from Kyoto if you did not return the evidence to them, yet no one has made any inquiries. It is possible your junior at the lab sent it back—”

“Ooba?” Shin snorted. “That man couldn't find test results if he stapled them to his forehead. He's an idiot.”

“He's disorganized,” Ken corrected. “When he is given direction, he is efficient and quite knowledgeable. He is, however, completely useless when he is unfocused. Most of my job seemed to be making sure he did his.”

“Could the superintendent have sent it back?” Toma asked. “I mean, if we think he's the reason you didn't tell Waka or any of us about it, then maybe he had you send the evidence back, too.”

“No,” Waka said. “Not him. Gatou would insist on keeping it.”

Toma nodded. “Right. So... anything, Kento?”

“A kiwi is a fruit.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Using the kiwi was a polite way of saying even an idiot should be able to understand it,” Ken said, and Kokoa giggled, getting Orion to gape at her. Ken smiled at her, though, and Ikki saw Ukyo sneak another picture. Yeah, he knew. “And the only way the university would publish it.”

“It was a very fitting title,” Waka said, though he didn't sound very amused, “but I think we would all like an answer to Toma's question.”

Ken nodded, starting to pace a little. “Why that conversation is missing... that makes no sense. The cooking lesson... that is there. It is... It...”

“I take it he was pretty bad at it the first time around?” Ikki asked Kokoa. “I mean, I knew he couldn't cook, but I assumed learning was something he'd done as part of his therapy for his PTSD, not something a friend taught him. He's a lot better now, but you know that.”

She shook her head. “He wasn't that bad the first time, just really insistent on using the precise amount the recipe required. That, and he hated my kitchen. It was small, and we kept bumping into each other.”

She smiled fondly at the memory.

“Yeah, but you didn't teach him to make those omelets,” Orion said, and she frowned at him. “You didn't. Yours are terrible. You are really bad with eggs.”

She frowned, folding her arms over her chest. “You never said you didn't like my eggs.”

“A real threat delivered in a way to seem like less of a threat... a shadow behind the puppet... Someone who wants to get away with his crimes... No, Rossmo's formula didn't work... two cities, two hunting grounds... a way to confuse the issue? No, no, more to it than that. That statement, that denial... the fear and the rumor... the move, why the move? Could it have been... no, the timing was wrong, but then... the premise isn't wrong even if the timing appears wrong. Connecting the wrong event... That was it. Two crimes...”

“Uh, Kent, I know you're deep in theory mode over there, but you're not making any sense.”

“Let him finish, Toma,” Ukyo said, raising his camera to take a picture. Ken didn't even notice, as lost in thought as he was. 

Ikki was pretty sure he was rebuilding whatever theory he'd created before, but that was as bad as it was good. If Ken knew what he'd uncovered before, they'd finally know what the hell was going on, but at the same time... how much was it going to cost him to bring all that back?

“First one can be survived, meant to be survived... not a fire, not a pose, not a ritual... more intimate, they may even have seen him... No, they did, but that means... they have to die. Layers of crime, in two different cities, the need to control... to get away with it, a game on so many levels, layers of crime and death and... that's not really the theory I told the superintendent about, that would have gotten me locked up...”

“Does he always do this when he's thinking?” Orion asked, frowning.

His sister shook her head. “No. Sometimes he just stares at the distance, which can be very confusing when you think he's looking at you and he isn't, and it's easy to mistake his thinking face for an angry one, but he's really not mad, just... thinking.”

Orion turned his frown on her, now suspicious. “How well do you know him, anyway?”

She flushed. “Not that well.”

“Well enough,” Ikki said, watching her go even redder, ducking her head. Her brother glared at him, but he just shrugged.

“Of course I know where the evidence is,” Ken said, and Ikki looked back at him. Wait. He wasn't pacing anymore. No, this was not good. Not good at all.

“Okay, so tell us,” Shin said, folding his arms over his chest.

“I won't tell you. You already killed the only leverage you had.”

* * *

_He'd never known himself to have a particularly high tolerance for pain. The fact that he was still conscious now, with his back a seared mass of flesh—if he calculated it, he thought he could tell by how long the flame had been held against him what level of tissue it had reached, but he didn't want to—with his leg still crushed, that should be impossible._

_He did not want to be awake. He wasn't even sure, as illogical as the reaction was, that he wanted to be alive. While he had known exactly what his words would do when he saw her earlier, what she'd said echoed in his head, almost worse than the agony he now felt. That she, of all people, thought he had no heart..._

_He knew that a childish part of him had chosen to come to dinner for reassurance from his parents, not that he'd asked—he didn't discuss emotional things with his parents._

 _If he had not come... would she still be alive? And his father... his father had to be dead, too._

_“You should have forgotten all about it,” the man said, and Kent cried out involuntarily as he was grabbed by the hair. “One little case, and it had such a good explanation, but you didn't let it go. The smart thing would have been to let it go, but you just dug and dug... and now you have to pay.”_

_Kent swallowed. “I have never... understood the logic... of killers... who toy with their prey. What... possible reason... do you have... for this?”_

_The other man laughed in his ear. “I told you you would suffer. That's your price for not forgetting like a good little policeman. Though I may choose to spare you further pain if you tell me where the evidence is.”_

_“No.”_

_The man yanked on Kent's hair again, holding the torch close to his neck. He could feel the heat—it was going down his back, too, and that was impossible yet incredibly painful._

_“Tell me where the evidence is.”_

_“You already killed... the only leverage you had...” Kent said. “And you may as well... kill me now. I won't tell you anything.”_

_“Oh, no, there is more I can take from you,” the other man said. “After all, I did some research of my own. Aren't you close to that former actor, Ikki? I hear you're like family.”_

_No. Not Ikkyu. Kent knew he was no good at lying, but he forced the words out anyway. “It was a family dinner... and there is nothing left... of the house.”_

_“Are you crying? So sad because I killed him, too?” He tightened his grip on Kent's hair. “Aren't you supposed to be a heartless robot?”_

_Kent flinched, not able to summon any words. The other man shifted the torch, moving it close to Kent's shoulder. He screamed, seeing black but somehow not given any mercy, as he remained conscious. His body surely wasn't capable of withstanding much more of this. He was not like Ikkyu, Shin, or Toma, who actually exercised. He only walked to and from work, though he had been forced into a few self-defense courses, and none of his teammates believed in holding back when it came to training._

_It was all useless now._

_“I already told you... you can kill me. I won't tell you... anything.”_

_“And I told you—there is so much more I can take from you.”_


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The others deal with Kent's latest revelations and try to figure out their next steps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit, this one was so difficult to do, I gave up on it and worked on an AU idea for Kent & the heroine after the normal end in Ukyo's route despite telling myself I was going to just finish this story and not write more.
> 
> In the end, I set aside that AU, rewrote a bit of this, reorganized it, and it's still flawed, but I like it better now, I think.
> 
> Also... trying to understand chess move notations is nearly impossible with a migraine.

* * *

“And... he's gone again, isn't he?” Toma asked, his eyes on Kent. He thought he was getting better at telling the difference between thinking Kent and fugue Kent. They'd seemed closer before, but the more he witnessed Kent's flashbacks, the easier it was to tell them from when he was lost in thought. His tone shifted from distracted to something else—anguished, that was the best word Toma had for it and even that didn't come close enough—and the pacing had stopped.

Ikki nodded, swallowing hard as Kent sat down on the floor. Shaking, he curled up against the counter with a whimper, his eyes closed tight. Damn, he looked like he was in pain.

“He said not to touch him when he's like this,” Ukyo said, worried, “but there must be something we can do.”

“It was a family dinner... and there is nothing left... of the house.”

“It would be better if we had both sides of this conversation,” Toma said. “Anyone else get the feeling this guy wasn't just torturing Kent for fun?”

Waka nodded. “It sounds like he was trying to find out where Kent put the evidence.”

“That might mean that Kent managed to keep it from him,” Shin muttered, frowning. “But is he going to remember where he put it when he comes out of this?”

“Is that really all you care about?” Kokoa demanded, shaking her head in disbelief. “Look at him. Kent barely smiles he doesn't know how to share real emotions, and he's over there in agony and you're all just _standing there.”_

Toma shook his head. “You were asleep when I set him off earlier by touching him. I don't want to make it worse. None of us do.”

Ikki nodded. “It's pretty delicate, and this... it's not the same as any others I've seen, but the ones it is like... I made them a lot worse when I tried to intervene. He ended up hurting himself trying to get away from me, and that was even after I knew better than to touch him.”

“No, they're dead,” Kent whispered. “There's nothing... houses and possessions... they're just... things. None of that... matters to me... Even my life... is not worth... it has no value...”

Ikki winced. Kokoa jumped down from the counter, letting out a whimper of her own as she landed, and her brother stared at her in horror, but she didn't let that stop her as she went over to Kent's side. He didn't even notice her flop down next to him, biting her lip in pain.

“The team? No... they... they would not even... not call friend... not... you can't... you—no—you can't kill them all—you can't—” Kent started screaming, and Toma flinched. He balled his hand into a fist. When they found this guy, he was going to pay for everything he did. To Kent, to the people he'd killed, all of them. Toma would make sure this guy felt at least the same amount of pain.

“Kent,” Kokoa whispered, shifting closer to him. She reached out, hesitating for a second, but she nodded to herself and put both hands on his face, leaning her head close to his. Toma wasn't sure if it was what she'd done or not, but Kent did stop screaming. “I'm so sorry. I wish I'd never told you about my parents. I put you all in danger. I hurt you so much, and you... you didn't deserve that. Your life has so much more value than you know. And I'm not the only one who thinks so. I know I'm not. I know I'm probably doing this all wrong, but I couldn't sit still... I never thanked you for any of what you did for me or Orion. And I let my pride get in the way so much... I owe you, and I hate owing people, but... that still doesn't make what I did right. I never should have said what I did to you. I never should have gotten you involved in any of this. I'm sorry.” 

He shuddered, falling forward like he couldn't hold himself up even with the counter behind him for support, but at least he hadn't started screaming again or anything. She eased him down so his head was in her lap.

“Your voice... must be dying to hear it now... irrational... of my mind... to have you apologize...”

She shook her head. “No. This is real, and you deserve a lot more than an apology.”

“You... don't have... anything... apologize for...”

She laughed a little. “You know that's not true. Not only was I always picking fights with you, all of this is because you looked into my parents' death. My doubts... they cost you your family and put everyone here in danger.”

“No one... else here... no one alive... not alive myself...”

“You are,” she insisted. She sighed, touching her fingers to his hair. “I do this with Orion... I know it's probably silly to someone like you, but... it seems to soothe him, and he'll forget his nightmares.”

“Not... a terrible way... to die... with the illusion... of comfort... though... far from... deserving... he will know... Ikkyu didn't die... in the house... and he will... kill him first... my death... doesn't save anyone...”

“Damn it,” Ikki said. “Ken...”

“I'm very tired,” Kent whispered. “I never thought... could withstand... that much pain... should already be suffering shock... already dead?”

“No, but you should probably rest now,” she said, continuing to move her fingers through his hair. “Just go ahead and sleep. You're safe now, and I'll still be here when you wake up. I promise.”

Kent frowned. “I never had... that much imagination. Something is.... wrong... Did I... No. Let go of me. I... to think I could mistake that... for kindness...”

He pulled away from her, smacking into the counter. He hit his head and grimaced, but he still didn't seem to realize where he was.

“Ken, I'm sorry about this, but if you work yourself up again, you're going to hurt someone,” Ikki said, kneeling down next to him, pills in hand. “Mostly yourself, but still.”

“Ikkyu wasn't there. This doesn't... I don't... Ikkyu is safe because he didn't come to dinner... that... can't be Ikkyu... I don't... not an actor... but acting... I...”

“Here,” Ikki said. “I'm giving you your medication. I know you still don't think I'm here, so... damn it, I hate doing it like this.”

He grabbed Kent's head, tipping it back as Kent protested, trying to push him away, but Ikki managed to drop the pills in his mouth as he spoke. He forced Kent's mouth shut, holding his jaw until he saw him swallow. Kent shuddered, making a noise that was both pitiful and horrifying at the same time.

Worse, Kent actually seemed to be looking at Ikki when he asked, “Why... wasn't it... enough... the burns... you... had... drug me, too?”

Ikki winced. “You know I didn't want to do that. I didn't have a choice.”

“You did what was necessary,” Waka said. “Were he in his rational mind, he would know that.”

Ikki nodded, but he still looked miserable. Kent pulled his legs up against his chest, burying his head in his knees as he shook, making small noises that sounded a lot like he might actually be crying.

Hell, Kent crying. That was all kinds of wrong. Toma just wanted it to stop, and he knew he wasn't the only one. Ikki looked like he'd give anything to comfort his friend, but he still didn't move closer. Whatever had happened before when Kent was like this must have been really bad for him to hold back now, and Toma knew that was the only thing stopping any of the others.

He almost wished she was brave enough to defy them all again, and he thought she was closer to caving in again with each new whimper.

Toma grimaced. “How long does it take for that to kick in?”

“Too long,” Ikki said, forcing himself to his feet. His eyes didn't leave Kent, but he still didn't move to help him. “I... I'm going to go clean up his room for him. Just... don't let him... I'd better stay. He could still panic again and that's when he'll do real damage.”

“I'd say I'd clean up the mess in his room—I made it—but I,” Kokoa paused, trying to force herself to her feet. She gave up a second later, biting her lip to muffle her own sob. She blinked back her tears. “I don't think my leg will let me.”

“Neesan,” Orion said. “You shouldn't have—”

“No, I had to. Or maybe I just wanted to, but... I couldn't leave him alone,” she said, looking at Kent. She set her hand down on the floor next to his, touching him ever so slightly. He didn't look up, and he wasn't saying anything now. Maybe the pills were starting to work. She closed her eyes, pained. “I'm sorry, Ikki. I didn't mean to make it worse.”

“It was working,” Orion said. “He just... panicked again. Were you really that mean to him before? He... thought he was dreaming about you being nice, but you're always nice to me. And Sawa and Mine and... other people.”

“Well, when you get two stubborn people who won't back down or admit they're wrong, they're bound to fight a lot and misunderstand each other,” Sawa said, and Toma frowned, looking back at the doorway.

“So not okay that you lied to us about using the bathroom and disappeared,” Mine said, folding her arms over her chest. “We were actually worried about you, but then you went and excluded us again.”

“We were given a valuable piece of the investigation,” Waka said. “Do you also have one?”

The two of them exchanged a look. “Uh...”

“Then perhaps you should return upstairs and make provisions to sleep. Everyone here is about to do the same.”

* * *

“Like I said, I'm going to get his room ready,” Ikki said, eying Kent again. Ukyo wondered if Ikki had noticed the same thing he had. Perhaps it was nothing, just a reflex, and Kent certainly didn't seem to be doing anything consciously, but his fingers had moved closer to Kokoa's, a couple of them now overlapping instead of just grazing each other. “It should be safe to try and move him by then. Just... don't let him move if he tries to. The drugs throw off his sense of balance and affect his motor control. He sort of... loses track of his own size, too.”

“We'll watch over him,” Ukyo promised him. He thought Kent was already calmer, and he couldn't hear anything now, unlike the muffled noises Kent made before, which probably meant the medication was working. “Don't worry, Ikki. He won't come to any harm.”

“I really am sorry about the bed,” Kokoa said, her fingers moving over Kent's in small, circular patterns. She didn't even seem aware she was doing anything. “I... I couldn't help it, the medication hit my stomach and I just—”

“Trust me, it can't be worse than doing it for Ken when he first got out of the hospital,” Ikki told her, grimacing. “He's twice your size, and he was on a higher dose of the stuff, so... I'm pretty sure he has you beat in that score.”

“You know,” Ukyo said, unable to help himself. Though normally he did not like to give voice to his anger, he felt he had to say something now. Ikki alone had known about Kent's state, and it hurt, being lied to and excluded like this. “You could have let some of us help with that, too. You didn't have to do it on your own.”

Ikki hesitated, and he chose his words carefully. “If I thought I couldn't handle it, I would have asked for help, but... it wasn't exactly my call, either. Ken's actually lucky that security system of his runs on a variable system that I was able to crack.”

“He locked you out, too, Ikki?” Orion asked, frowning. “But... you're his friend and like family...”

Ikki nodded. “Yeah, but sometimes that makes it harder. We don't want our family seeing us at our weakest. And Ken... he's never really known weakness. He always seemed strong, if only because he is so logical and rational he always appears to be calm, sure of himself, and completely in control. Let you know a secret, though. He's not.”

With a final grin that was not a true smile but a pretense, Ikki left the room. Ukyo did not like seeing that look back again. Ikki blamed himself for having to drug Kent, which had been unpleasant for all of them to watch, and Ukyo did not know that he could have done it. For Ikki to have taken that step was almost impossible to believe. Waka, maybe, Shin, yes, but Ikki...

It made sense now why Ikki had always let Kent say no to his medication before.

 _“Otouto,_ you go on upstairs with Sawa and Mine,” Kokoa told Orion, who frowned and looked like he was going to protest. “I have to have someone carry me, much as I don't want to do that, so I'll be along in a while, but you should get ready for bed—oh, and take your bath already. You should have done that last night.”

Orion grimaced, but Sawa guided him by the shoulders toward the door. “Don't worry. We'll make sure he gets started on that. You just... be careful when you come upstairs.”

Kokoa nodded. “I will. I'm not going to do anything else reckless tonight, but... um... I will need someone to change my bandages, too, so... it will probably be a while.”

“Guess we should have Ikki do that,” Toma said, uncomfortable. “Aside from Kent, he knows the most about burn care of all of us here.”

Ukyo nodded. Kent was probably their expert, but as Ikki had been the one he'd let close to him, he'd done the most. The others knew little about it, though Waka might know more than he'd ever said, since he said so little. Still, Ukyo thought that once again more was happening than was being said.

“You're not really expecting us to just call it quits and sleep like little kids, are you?” Shin asked, folding his arms over his chest as he faced Waka, wasting no time after the others had left to confront him. “Because even if Kent's down for the count, there's a lot of other things we can be doing. Besides, it's bullshit.”

Ukyo heard Toma draw in a breath. “Shin, do you really think—”

“I don't buy it,” Shin said. “Even if Kent forgot the entire case—which is still hard to believe, but he should have told us about this thing—Kent's too damned practical not to have taken some kind of step to make sure that we got the information we needed and the evidence. If he knew to hide it, he thought this was coming, and he would have made sure we had a way to find it.”

“Oh, that,” Toma said. Ukyo nodded, thinking that Shin's assessment was very true. Kent was not a man who would not have had a back up plan in place. “You have a point.”

Kokoa frowned, looking at Kent and then back at them. “You're not actually... blaming him for this? Like he chose to forget and that's the worst thing he could have done? He didn't ask for any of this. I know he said he'd have looked into it anyway because what I said made him curious, but... I was the one who... I made it sound like it was murder—and maybe it is that's still possible, but... I got him involved. And I don't think he would choose any of this. Kent seems like someone who doesn't care, who is only about logic and things that can be proven, not felt, but he...he was kinder to me than I ever deserved.”

“I do not believe that's true,” Ukyo said, and she frowned at him. “Not that I doubt Kent, that's not it. I think you have done so much for your brother that is admirable, and you shouldn't overlook the fact that Waka let you stay, injured or not. You've been helpful to our investigation.”

She frowned. “I don't really feel like I have. I didn't remember anything, and I still can't tell you how I ended up in that warehouse—No. I...”

Ukyo didn't mean to cause her distress. “That was not meant to upset you.”

“No, I...” Kokoa broke off as Kent slumped over on her. She shifted her position to give him her lap again. He didn't stir, and that had to mean the medication was working. “I can't be sure, but... It sounds like I was the last one who saw him before he went to his parents' house. Do you think... the killer thought I knew where it was?”

“Perhaps,” Waka said. He studied her carefully. “I do not believe Kent would have left anything with you, but you may remember differently.”

She shook her head, returning her fingers to Kent's hair. “He didn't leave anything at my apartment that night, even though I knocked the file out of his hands and scattered the pictures. I know because I moved the next day, and I would have found it if he had. And he didn't tell me he'd left me anything anywhere else, either.”

Waka nodded. “That is what I would have expected of him.”

“Sure, but we know Kent,” Toma said. “We know he's not the sort to leave this case alone or to give key evidence to someone who couldn't do anything about it. No offense, Kokoa, but you're not a cop. There's no way he'd leave that with you if he had it.”

“No, he'd make a damned math puzzle and hide a clue in it or something stupid like that,” Shin said, and then he winced. “He did, didn't he?”

“That would be like Kent,” Ukyo agreed, “but if he did, wouldn't he have given it to Ikki?”

“Maybe that was why he was so sure that his death wouldn't save anyone,” Kokoa said with a wince. “If he gave the puzzle to Ikki but knew that Ikki was already being threatened by this man... he might have been worried that Ikki wouldn't get the puzzle or know what it was before he was killed.”

Shin looked at her. “Since when did you get all insightful?”

She frowned. “Well, I was going to be a psychology major, and I've always been interested in what made people act the way they do. That's part of why interacting with Kent was so fascinating. I'd never met anyone who operated almost on pure logic like he did. I spent a lot of time arguing with him but also trying to understand him.”

“I think she knows Ken rather well, actually,” Ikki said, coming back into the room. He'd shed his suit jacket, and Ukyo had to wonder if it had gotten soiled while he cleaned. “Though I also noticed my ears were burning. Were you talking about me while I was gone?”

“First because we need to deal with her burns,” Toma said, “and since Kent's out, that kind of leaves you. And second because Shin figures Kent left us some way of finding the evidence—most likely in a math puzzle he gave to you.”

Ikki frowned. “A... Well, he was still giving me one about every week, at least, up until the trial, but I wasn't really up to doing any of them after the bombing. I... We didn't know if Ken was going to pull through, and there were... other things to handle.”

Ukyo closed his eyes, not wishing to remember that, though it was hard to forget the funeral service for Kent's parents. Not only was it empty of all talk of life beyond death—that was too irrational for either of them to accept—but their son had been on life support at the time.

Some cruel idiots had said they should have waited until they knew Kent's fate so they could have the funerals all at once, which led to a brawl that Toma started, but in the end he, Ikki, and Shin all had bloody knuckles and torn clothes. Ukyo thought even Waka had a part in that fight, but with him it was a lot harder to tell.

“Did you keep any of the puzzles?” Shin asked. “Wait, what am I even saying?”

“You know I do,” Ikki said. “Those things are a badge of honor, especially if I get them right the first time. Ken hasn't been entirely wrong about them being weapons. They can drive someone insane trying to solve them.”

“Nerd.”

Ikki shrugged. “Jealous again, Shin? Exactly how many of Ken's puzzles have you solved? Isn't the going record four among all three of you?”

“I am not wasting my time on that crap,” Shin said. “I just want to know if you actually have the answer to all this, since Kent might not even remember when he does wake up.”

“I suppose if Ken did put it in a puzzle, I'd have it, but I'd have thought...” Ikki paused. “It's Ken, and if he was practical enough to make sure we knew where it was and paranoid enough to hide it in a puzzle, then why would he just give it to me? He should have sent it to Waka.”

“And make Waka solve it?”

Ikki smiled. “Even if he didn't want to or couldn't, we'd know it was from Ken and important. Giving it to me... it wouldn't get the attention it needed.”

“Except that exchanging puzzles was routine for you, and he may well have wanted it to seem like nothing out of the ordinary,” Waka said. “If, as we must assume, someone in the department itself is a part of this, possibly even compromising others—”

“You think someone manipulated that guy into leaving the murderer loose to go at Kent? Or are you thinking he's using him now?” Toma asked, frowning. “I know we figured this guy was watching from the crowd, but if he was working the scene—”

“I would not credit that idiot who failed to restrain the suspect with enough intelligence to do half of what has been suggested of this killer, and he would not have enough authority to interfere or demand Kent's silence,” Waka said, though his eyes went back to the screen again. “It is possible that act was deliberate, though. That killer was left loose so he would attack Kent.”

“Fits with this guy's MO of making his crimes look like something else,” Toma said. “We might not have known it had anything to do with another case, just assumed an idiot got sloppy.”

“In which case, this man was merely a pawn, a sacrifice made to eliminate the threat,” Waka said. “Ikki, you stayed with Kent when he was concussed. Did he say anything then that might have to do with this case?”

Ikki thought about it. “Well, now that you say that... he actually did have this really winding chess metaphor that didn't make much sense.”

Shin shook his head. “Just because Waka used the word pawn—”

“Kent called it a game, too, not that long ago,” Toma said. “I know it's a stretch, but we're going to have to piece more of this together before we go forward. Waka's right. Someone in the department is involved in this, has to be, and if we don't do it right, more of us will end up hurt or dead. That isn't happening. I won't let it.”

“None of us will.”

* * *

“I believe it is time to move him,” Waka said, crossing over and kneeling down next to Kent and the woman. She blinked, looking a little startled as Waka lifted Kent up, using a fireman's carry to get Kent up over his shoulders and take him out of the room.

He made it look easy, Shin thought, and that was just as crazy as the rest of this.

“I thought that it was going to take at least two of us to move him,” Toma said, staring at the doorway in disbelief. Ukyo nodded, lowering his camera.

“I know I can't do it on my own,” Ikki admitted, shaking his head as he turned back to the woman. He knelt next to her with a first aid kit. “How about we try and do something about those burns now?”

She nodded. “Um... can someone go check on Orion for me? Toma, would you? He might already be sleeping, and if he is, that's okay, but if he's not... would you tell him I have a promise to keep?”

Shin frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Ah, you want to be there when Ken wakes up,” Ikki said, peeling back the bandage carefully. She cried out and then bit down on her lip, stifling herself. “A brave idea, but you should know that he's liable to puke on you if you're anywhere near him. And since he's that much bigger than you, what you did will seem tame in comparison.”

“I'm willing to risk it,” she said. “I owe him too much to be afraid of a little vomit. Don't forget—I raised Orion on my own since he was three. I can handle a little puke.”

Ikki smiled at her. “I didn't say you couldn't. I just figured it was fair to warn you.”

“I'll be fine,” she insisted, though she flinched as he applied the cream to her arm. Shin shook his head. She might be brave, but she was also stupid. Kent wouldn't even remember that promise when he woke up—he'd been too far gone at that point. “Really.”

“I suppose you should also consider the other state Kent may wake in,” Waka said. “Does he wake disoriented as well?”

Ikki shrugged. “I don't think so. If he does, he's probably brought around pretty fast by the fact that he's puking his guts out.”

“Nice.”

Ikki glared at Shin. “I think I made it very clear why neither of us likes being backed into that corner and forcing him to take that medication. The side effects are so nasty he'd rather endure endless panic attacks while usually going without sleep for days. Those are the only things that put him under.”

“Shin could use a nap himself,” Toma said, and Shin flipped him off.

“No, what we still need is something to go on,” Shin said. Just because Kent was out didn't mean the rest of them were, and he knew none of them would be sleeping. Maybe the girl, she'd get a dose of her own meds and be out, but the four of them? Waka? Hell, no.

“Wait for it,” Waka said, and Shin glared at him, too frustrated to be calm at the moment. 

“I'm an idiot,” Ikki said, stopping just after wrapping a new bandage around her arm. Waka smiled thinly, and Toma chuckled a little. Ukyo had that smug expression on his face, the one Shin hated. There was a picture of this on that camera of his, even if Shin couldn't even see it in his hands.

“We already knew that,” Shin said. “Nothing new. Are you done helping her with the burns now or not? If there's more you need to do, get it done already.”

Ikki blinked, glancing at the woman. She was curious, it was all over her face, but she wasn't supposed to hear this. “I am, though I won't force her to let me check all the bandages in front of an audience.”

“Of course not,” Waka said. “Finish tending to her in the other room.”

Ikki nodded, and she let him pick her up. He carried her out of the room, and Shin folded his arms over his chest. It was a lot less likely that the tutor or the headmaster were involved, but at least looking into them would be doing something. He was sick of talking in circles and getting nowhere. He didn't know how any of the others could stand it.

And if this all was in one of those stupid puzzles Kent gave Ikki, Shin really would be angry.

“I'm not liking the look of that wound on her leg,” Ikki said as he came back in the room. “It's inflamed, and I'd say she pulled at least one of the stitches with all that blood. I've cleaned it out and put a fresh cover on it, but we'll want to watch that—and make sure she stays off her feet.”

Toma nodded. “We will. Now what was that about being an idiot?”

“It's not like it's news to any of us,” Shin said. “I knew that before I even met you. I watched the damned show, too.”

Ikki was not amused. “Of course you did. Everyone did. You also failed to learn anything from it, but go ahead and pout. That's what you do best.”

“Ikki,” Waka interrupted, and Shin knew his name was coming next.

“Ken plays Go, not chess,” Ikki said, and Shin stared at him. Ikki really was an idiot. “He doesn't make chess references, that's my point. I should have known something was up that day, but he was concussed, so I didn't take what he said seriously, but... he wouldn't have mentioned chess. He would have made a Go reference if he was just talking straight up strategy, but he wasn't. And you really don't want to hear Ken's opinions on shogi, either. What he said about chess was making a point.”

“Which was?”

Ikki thought about it. “He quoted one of those grandmasters and then went off on a tangent about one of his matches and then the guy's theorem in mathematics—the Lasker-Noether theorem—it was refined later by a lady mathematician—and he got lost in Noetherian rings for a while—”

“Trust Kent to be pretentious and incoherent,” Shin muttered. “What does any of that have to do with the case?”

“'You should keep in mind no names, nor numbers, nor isolated incidents, not even results, but only methods. The method produces numerous results; a few of these will remain in our memory, and as long as they remain few, they are useful to illustrate and to keep alive the rules which order a thousand results,'” Waka said. Shin frowned. He saw Toma shudder. The delivery itself was unsettling, coming from Waka like that, but that still didn't tell them anything. “Emanuel Lasker was a very interesting man, wrote an insightful manual on chess.”

“I suppose you're good at chess, too, huh, boss?”

“And shogi. And Go,” Ikki said. “Don't you and Ken have a game going that started five years ago or something?”

“I know he was gone for two years, but a game that's lasted five years?”

“Around our other work, and with the two of us trying to outwit each other?” Waka smiled. “Five years is nothing.”

"He's got a point. A game between me and Ken can take weeks, and I'm more impulsive," Ikki said. "And we see each other more outside work."

Shin forced himself not to say something about why Waka and Kent got along. “Again, what does that have to do with anything?”

“Did you seriously not hear what he just said?” Toma asked. “Keeping in mind the methods? Things that can have a thousand results? Come on, tell me someone else understood that.”

Ikki nodded. “Taken with this case? Ken was saying that this guy wasn't doing it for the individual crimes. He was adapting his methods so he could get away with hundreds, maybe thousands of crimes. These fires alone have a high body count, but the stuff Kent found or suspected was a part of it? It could be endless.”

“Damn it,” Shin muttered. “Does everything have to be a damned conspiracy?”

“Do you really want an answer to that, Shin?” Ikki asked. “Because I seem to remember you not liking it when Ken tried to tell you that while the facts themselves are true—”

“Don't start. Just because someone can twist anything into a conspiracy and make it look like they have proof doesn't mean that's what this is. Unless you think Kent saw a conspiracy in this.”

“Well, somewhere in his ramblings was something about if he went to the superintendent with that theory he'd have been locked up,” Toma said. “Which could be another reason why he didn't say anything to us about this—if it sounded crazy, he wouldn't have wanted to tell us.”

“Except that most of us like the crazy, and there's not a one of us who would doubt him if he said it, now would we?” Ikki countered. “You said it yourself—when Kent gives you orders, you go along with it because he always has a good reason, even if we don't know what it is. So... that's not why he held back. No, it's something else.”

“What tournament did Kent reference?” Waka asked. “There may be more to it than the quote itself.”

Ikki grimaced. “Um... something about the Rice Gambit and vanity?”

“True enough. It has fallen completely out of favor,” Waka agreed. “Still, there may be something to the opening itself.”

“Why do you say that?”

“White sacrifices a knight.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things are remembered, and the next morning has a rough start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I wrote several flashbacks for this chapter, and then I decided they didn't fit, so hopefully they'll have a place later. I think at least one does, not sure yet about the others.
> 
> Also... it may not be the best of ideas to try and write someone dealing with nausea while being very nauseous oneself. I mean, the migraines stay no matter what I do, so I usually just work through them, but trying to write that part with Kent was a bit worse than usual.

* * *

_“I'm going to give you a final chance,” the voice said in Kent's ear, and he struggled against the pain to place it. He should know it, shouldn't he? This person seemed to know him well, too well. He knew about his parents, about Saturday dinner. About Ikkyu. The team._

_He must know Waka. He wasn't stupid enough to threaten him. Not once in this conversation had he directed anything toward Waka, which meant... something. Kent was sure of it, but he couldn't think anything through now, not like he should._

_“Kill me,” Kent said. At this point, it would be merciful, which he didn't expect from the other man, but he knew that he might lose his leg if he survived, and he would be covered in scars, with a good chance of dying of infection before he recovered from the burns. And the rest... he didn't even want to think about the rest. His parents were dead. Ikkyu was the only one who'd really miss him, and it was simpler to end it here._

_If he had only had this theory put together before that concussion cost him an entire day and a bit more, he could have turned it over to someone useful, but it had taken him two days to piece back together everything he'd formulated before, and by then it was clear there was some sort of tampering within the office. He didn't want to believe it was anyone on the team, and now, with this man threatening their lives, they seemed blameless, but Kent hadn't been sure of anyone but Ikkyu and Waka before tonight._

_“I don't think so,” the other man said, yanking on Kent's hair again. “That won't get me the answers I want. I know you found something. I know you had proof that wasn't a murder suicide. I want that evidence. It's going to be buried just like you and your parents.”_

_“It is... of no advantage to me... to give you... anything,” Kent told him, though he had thought of something else despite the pain. If he kept this man here, talking, there was still a chance that he'd be caught in the fire when it got closer. And if he ran, he'd be spotted. Staying conscious and playing this verbal game was the last thing Kent could do to stop him._

_It didn't erase his mistakes. If he'd turned this over to the team from the beginning—if he hadn't been embarrassed by his feelings and willing to be pacified by turning his theories over to the superintendent, who hadn't done anything... why hadn't he done anything? What did that mean? Was it just his pride? His need to spite Waka? Or was he involved? Kent still wasn't sure, but this man... this wasn't the superintendent... was he?_

_He was losing focus, in too much pain to be sure of anything now, but if he could hold on, stall a bit longer, he could maybe see to it this man was caught here._

_“After all I've done, you still think you should be brave?” The other man laughed and moved his hand from Kent's hair to his cheek, giving it a pat. “I really do hope you live. I haven't finished playing with you yet. No, not by a long shot.”_

_Kent pulled away from him. “Don't touch me.”_

_“Oh, are you getting shy now? How cute. I wouldn't have thought it of you. I suppose you didn't enjoy our time together half as much as I did. Though I should have made sure I had so much more of it to spend with you. The quick ones are never as pleasurable, and you... breaking you in body and spirit would be be so delicious... Watching your mind shatter as easily as I've broken your body... I should let you live... and watch helplessly as I take everything else from you. Knowing I left these marks on you... Not as satisfying as others, no, no, but worth letting you live, yes...”_

_Kent shook his head. “No. I... will likely die... and even if I don't... I won't play... your game...”_

_“You think you have a choice?”_

_Kent nodded. “You... are not half... as smart as you think... and your desire to kill... you are unstable and will... make more mistakes...”_

_He knew he couldn't stay conscious much longer. The pain was extreme, and he was finding it harder to breathe. Maybe he had delayed enough. Maybe not. He knew he hadn't set enough against this, but maybe there was another way to avoid playing even if he lived... He didn't know. He needed more time to think, but he didn't have it._

_Something crashed behind them, and the other man smacked his head down onto the rubble. “You tried to trick me, didn't you? Tried to trap me here. Oh, you are more devious than I thought, but you will pay for that.”_

* * *

_She woke up with an aching head, groaning. Her whole body ached, and she didn't think she could move. Her chest was so tight, and she could barely breathe. No, she couldn't afford to get sick now. She'd lose their nice home if she got sick, especially after the rent went up last year. It had been the same as their old place at first, no one wanting it because a killer had lived there, but now time had passed. People had forgotten, and the landlord wanted more money. She hadn't been able to count on a steady income from tips, ever, but at least when Kent was coming into the cafe, she knew she'd have that much every day. It made budgeting so much easier, but he was gone now._

_She didn't know if it was those terrible things she'd said that night or if he'd actually died, no one would tell her what happened to him at the hospital or when she tried to call his office. She didn't want to believe he was dead. She couldn't forgive herself for letting him think she really believed that about him. She didn't._

_Her eyes widened as she got a good look at the room. No. This wasn't possible. She should be home by now, and this was not home. She started to get up and found herself caught. She looked down, almost screaming as she realized her chest was tight because she was tied to a pillar._

_“You're finally awake,” a man said, walking toward her with a knife in his hand. She swallowed, watching something she didn't want to think about drop onto the floor. Was that... blood? “I have to thank you for finding this place for me. It's been a perfect location for my work, and tomorrow the grand show will begin. Hmm. I can't wait. I'll finally get the one that got away.”_

_She stared at him. He was wearing one of those festival masks, the creepy ones that looked like a demon's face. His eyes behind it were bright with madness, and under the demon's smile, he was smiling, too, she was sure of it._

_“Shy, are you?” He knelt down in front of her. “And here I thought you were brave. You did give me a good chase, after all. I was surprised by your ability to avoid me. Did he teach you that?”_

_She tried to summon up a glare, not wanting to answer him. This was him. This was who had been following her. She'd tried telling herself she was just paranoid, and a wishful part of her had even dreamed up that it was Kent, since he never got close enough to her for her to see, but that dream didn't last. She'd only felt his presence, never saw him, but she felt such malice in it that she knew it wasn't Kent._

_He was not that kind of man._

_This one, though, he was a killer. Even without the mask, she'd be sure of that._

_He grabbed hold of her head, yanking on her hair as he did. “Answer me. Who taught you to avoid a tail?”_

_“No one.” It wasn't entirely a lie. Kent hadn't meant to teach it to her. She'd just noticed what he was doing when they walked home together, how he'd vary his pace, slowing down to listen for footsteps and how he turned them through odd paths they didn't usually take when the footsteps seemed close. He'd even made an excuse to go into a shop once, though it really wasn't his kind of place and it was obvious he'd only gone in to be able to watch the window and see if someone passed them._

_She'd still teased him about going into a woman's clothing shop, and he'd lied really badly about needing something for his mother. Despite how serious the situation could have been if someone was really following him, she'd liked that moment, seeing Kent get red like that and knowing that he really wasn't good at lying was actually a comfort of sorts._

_“You're lying,” the masked man said, pulling on her so hard she cried out. “Was it him?”_

_She saw a white blur in front of her eyes, and it took a minute before they cleared enough for her to see Kent's business card. She knew keeping it was stupid, but she'd done it anyway, carrying it around with her wherever she went. He'd told her to be prepared in case of emergencies, and she was now. If anything happened to her, someone should contact him, right? Not that he was the only contact she had, since she wasn't sure what happened to Kent, but she knew it would go to the police, at least, and she'd set up stuff so Sawa would know and someone was there for Orion._

_“Answer me. Was it him?”_

_She didn't know what to do. Would it matter if she told the truth? Would she get free if she cooperated a little? Or was it best just to keep defying him? What was he really after? If she knew, she could use it and escape._

_Okay, that meant buying some time. So... she would answer. She really hoped this was the right choice and she wasn't going to get Kent hurt or in trouble. “Yes.”_

_“I knew it.” The demon leaned into her. “All this time, I've been waiting, thinking he must have given it to that playboy, but now I know. He gave it to you, didn't he?”_

_“What?”_

_“Don't play dumb with me. I know you have it.”_

_“I don't know what you're talking about. The only thing Kent ever gave me was that card.” She didn't want to mention the food. That couldn't be what this guy wanted. And the book... that was Orion's, and she wasn't getting her brother caught up in this._

_The man's eyes watched her. “You don't want to lie to me. I'll know. You'll suffer.”_

_“Food. Once. He gave me a refrigerator full of food when I didn't have enough money to go shopping because I'd been sick.” She lowered her head, still ashamed of that and how she'd acted after Kent took care of her._

_“So kind of him,” the demon said. “Too kind.”_

_She didn't have time to react before he'd swiped the blade across her stomach. She screamed, trying to get free, but he moved it up under her neck, and she could only tremble, knowing she could die right now. She didn't know how to stop him, how to save herself, and Orion—Orion should be home safe. He'd be okay. This guy only wanted her. He wanted what he thought Kent had given her._

_She'd almost give it to him, but she didn't want him having anything, and it wouldn't save her. She had a feeling he'd kill her anyway._

_“I could gut you like I did your mother,” the demon said, and she gasped, staring at him in disbelief. He laughed, rocking back on his feet, letting go of her as he laughed. It was a sickening, horrible sound. “He didn't tell you about that? No, he must have told you.”_

_She shook her head. “No. He told me my father killed her.”_

_He grabbed her again, his grip tight on her neck. “You're lying again.”_

_“I'm not,” she said. Kent hadn't told her that there was anyone else. He'd told her... the official story. He had said that was what the others had decided, that her father killed her mother and set the fire. “I didn't believe him. I kicked him out of the house. I didn't—he... Kent's a terrible liar. He couldn't have lied to me...”_

_“Oh, he was a bad liar, I agree, but he could be devious all the same, and he knew how to make lies of omission work for him,” the demon said, turning the knife as he spoke. She tried not to watch, not wanting to admit he might be right about Kent lying by omission. He'd admitted to it at least a little when he told her he was with the police. “So he never told you the truth. That's interesting. I wonder why he didn't.”_

_She thought she knew. If Kent thought this guy was out there, he'd have wanted to keep her from looking into her parents' death any more than she already had, from asking him more questions he'd be unable to lie his way out of, from going to anyone else to ask for the truth._

_“I'd ask him, of course, but as I killed him, too, I suppose I won't get to know,” the demon said, and she choked, shaking her head. No. She'd never wanted to believe that. She hadn't ever accepted it. Kent wasn't dead. He had to be alive. She needed to see him again. “What's this now? A tear? Don't tell me you had feelings for him? Then again, why shouldn't you? I do.”_

_She gagged. “That's—”_

_“Years I passed by unnoticed. Years no one even thought to see me as a person. No one saw what I could do, what I'd been doing. No one looked twice at those crimes, at those deaths, but then one day... Kent looks into one little murder-suicide, and it all comes apart.” The man sighed, sounding both pleased and angry at the same time. “I'd never seen a mind like his before, even knowing he was one of Waka's pet five. None of them seemed a real threat before, even with their closure rate and the awards they kept lining up. They still hadn't found me, though I did hunt mostly in Kyoto for a long, long time. I thought that was the connection, that he'd gotten the idea from that photographer. I didn't realize it was you until after Kent was gone and none of his teammates looked into any of the cases again. If Ukyo brought it to him, then they'd have known where to look and start all over again. Well, maybe. Maybe I did too good a job covering it with the yakuza threat, not that it was hard. Those idiots were too eager to take credit for what I'd done to Kent and his parents. My only regret is that Kent died before we got to play our second round. I didn't get enough time with him. Not enough to break his spirit as well as his body.”_

_She winced. “You're sick.”_

_“I'm flattered. Now would you rather feel this knife or the heat of flames? I'm giving you a choice. Few get one, but you will. I may even spare you some pain if you're good and tell me quickly. Where is it? Where did Kent put it?”_

_She spat at him, and he stabbed her in the leg._

_“Oh, you shouldn't have made me do that. That could be fatal. You might bleed out from that one,” the demon said, rising. She stared at the knife, shaking. He came back with a blow torch in his hand, and she screamed, knowing she was going to die now._

* * *

Orion grimaced as he set the bowl down at the foot of the bed. Kent was lying on his side on the edge of his bed, facing the wall, and Neesan was on the opposite side of the bed with almost enough space between them for two people, but that didn't make Orion like it any better. She shouldn't have made that promise. It wasn't like Kent had even heard what she said, not really. He'd been somewhere else, so her telling him she'd be there when he woke didn't matter.

She should have come upstairs.

He'd grabbed a bowl from the kitchen on his way down in case she was sick again. This was not what he expected to find, and he didn't know what to do about it. He couldn't wake her and make her go upstairs, and if he woke Kent, bad things could happen according to Ikki.

Orion sighed and crawled up in between them. There was still enough space, though not too much, but enough, and he could make do here. He'd rather be here than let Kent do anything to Neesan. He didn't really think Kent would, not when he'd been able to see her without a shirt but refused to look, but that wasn't a guarantee and even if he didn't hurt her like that, Ikki had been worried about Kent being out of it because of his medication. What if he fell or rolled over and hit her in his sleep?

Great, now Orion wouldn't sleep. He closed his eyes, still doing his best to try. He could hear Neesan's breathing, which was usually a comfort, but also hearing Kent's was weird.

Then, just as Orion thought he was about to doze off, Kent made a strangled noise, sitting up and shifting the bed. Orion heard him gagging and jumped for the bottom of the bed, grabbing the bowl. He rushed over and got it under Kent just in time.

He grimaced all over again as Kent puked, wishing he'd been able to stick the bowl on Kent's lap and run or something. It was worse when Kent realized he was there and blinked at him, looking confused and very sick like he was going to vomit again.

“Orion?”

He nodded. “I brought the bowl for Neesan, but... um... you needed it.”

Kent moved away from the bowl. He leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes again. “...medication.”

“What?”

“Thank you,” Kent said, not really answering the question. “You can... leave that... I... will likely need it... again.”

Orion nodded, setting the bowl down again. He didn't want to hold it anymore, and he could only be grateful that Kent hadn't puked on his hands. “Is there anything that makes it better? Should you have crackers or ginger soda or—”

Neesan screamed, and Orion flinched, seeing Kent do the same. She hadn't sat up, and she looked like she was still sleeping. He ran around the bed to her side, kneeling next to her. “Neesan?”

“Careful... about touching her... you can make it worse that way... as you already know...”

Orion winced. Kent was right—last time she'd knocked him off the bed—but that didn't mean he liked hearing it from him. At least he hadn't moved to do it himself. This was Orion's job.

Or so he thought.

“Kent?” Neesan asked, turning to look at him. She let out a giant sigh, moving toward him faster than Orion would have thought she could. She almost threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to his side. Kent stiffened up, staring at her with the same disbelief Orion felt. “Oh, thank god. He said... he told me he'd killed you. And I... he... he wanted what you gave me, but you didn't give me anything but Orion's book and I couldn't tell him that and... he was going to kill me... he... he had a mask... a demon mask...”

Kent wrapped his arm around her, holding her close as she shook. He closed his eyes again, and Orion hoped he wasn't going to puke—that would definitely get on her. And how was it fair that Kent could hold her and comfort her and Orion couldn't? Not that she hadn't... she'd chosen Kent, but that still didn't make it better. Orion didn't like being this small. He should be able to do that for her. She shouldn't have to rely on Kent.

Wait, was Kent combing through her hair?

“A mask?” Orion asked, feeling sick to his own stomach. If the guy that took Neesan wore a mask, one of those really scary ones, no wonder she'd woke up so scared, but if he had a mask, then... he'd get away with it, wouldn't he? “You only saw a mask?”

“No, his eyes,” Neesan said, shuddering again and pressing even closer to Kent. “I... I would recognize those eyes. I know it. They were... they were evil. Insane... and evil.”

Orion thought about the laughing man. He thought he could agree about his eyes, but he hadn't gotten a very good look at him. The laughter, though, that was evil.

“Yes, as irrational as the thought was... I saw the same in those eyes.”

Neesan looked up at Kent again, seeming to remember where she was, and she pulled away from him, flushing. “I'm sorry. I was just—that... it scared me... and I... I thought... When he told me he killed you... that was a memory and I didn't know... didn't know you were alive. I'm sorry.”

Kent shook his head, tired. “You have nothing to—”

He broke off and barely grabbed the bowl in time, retching into it. Neesan flinched, hesitating, and then she put a hand on Kent's back and rubbed it like she did for Orion when he was sick.

Kent tensed. “Why does this... No. It... it isn't familiar. I... I don't know why I said—”

“That day in the cafe when you had the concussion and were afraid of your reaction to the crime scene,” she said. “I did this then. I didn't know what else to do. You were... so upset. It wasn't like you. I'd seen you angry and annoyed and I'd seen you try and hide kindness, but I'd never seen you like that. Anguished. I... I've seen a lot more of it lately. A part of me wanted to do this every time, but I didn't know why myself.”

Kent set the bowl down. “I think... I should very much like to echo a sentiment of yours and tell you I do not want your pity. Or charity.”

Neesan sat back with a sigh. “Kent...”

* * *

Ikki shifted his burden around as he went down the stairs, really wishing he'd managed to talk Ken into the elevator years ago. That spiral set was too narrow and cramped, though he knew the original owner had never wanted anyone else down in this space, since it was meant to house his private art collection. The vault converted well to a lab for Ken, but it wasn't really meant to be inhabited, even if Ken would rather hide down here than anywhere else.

He got even worse after the bombing, but he'd never been that social before, even with the team. He'd let them have rooms here, but he'd spend a lot of his time down in the lab on his own. And what he'd said last night—for some reason Ken didn't think any of them would think he was a friend. The hell was with that?

Ikki pushed the door to Ken's room open in time to hear his friend retching, and he grimaced, knowing he was already too late.

Except Ken had a bowl in hand, which was a bit of a surprise. Ikki supposed he didn't need this one, then, but he hadn't expected Ken to have one already. “I see you've started early this morning.”

Ken groaned. Though Kokoa looked like she wanted to move toward him, she didn't. “How can you joke about this? It's really not funny. Kent sounds like he's in pain, too, not just sick to his stomach, and... and it's just... wrong.”

Ikki shrugged. “I sort of assumed Ken preferred my pathetic attempts to make jokes about it over other things I could do. Here, I've got your favorite crackers, and if you make it fifteen minutes without puking, you get to have some. Also, a choice beverage meant to replenish nutrients as well as my personal favorite—a chaser to get that taste out of your mouth.”

“You seriously give him alcohol after that? Or is this one of your jokes?” Toma asked, coming into the room. He let out a yawn. “Someone remind me to stop falling asleep in front of the computer. I have the worst kink in my neck right now.”

“No one's going to tell you anything except that you're an idiot,” Shin said. He looked Ken over and grimaced. “You just had to find Ikki, didn't you?”

“Me?”

Toma shrugged. “Waka disappeared in the night, and I figured Kent would still be out, so I decided to settle for you when Shin didn't want to listen to my idea.”

“I'm so loved,” Ikki muttered. He put the stuff from his bowl to the side, swapping the used bowl for the clean one. Ken eyed it, but did not take it. That might be a good sign.

“I'm awake,” Ken said, “and you may as well say whatever you came to say. It won't make any difference about... this. It's got nothing to do with... subject matter. It's the medication.”

“First hour after waking is always the worst,” Ikki agreed, tempted to make Shin get rid of the used bowl. He would refuse, but that was half the fun of it, wasn't it? “We're already at two minutes and counting. Exactly how long have you been awake?”

“Not long,” Orion answered. “Maybe ten minutes now? Kent woke first and started puking, and then Neesan woke up a bit after him.”

Ikki nodded. “Actually, that's very good considering how little someone has had to eat lately.”

Ken sighed, flopping back on the bed and closing his eyes. “This medication is different, and you know it. If I had eaten... that bowl would have been insufficient.”

“But... it's a big bowl,” Orion said, eying it. “It's really that bad?”

“Oh, trust me, this is tame,” Ikki said. “Really bad times he's like a non-stop fountain and—”

“Ikki, none of us needed to know that,” Shin snapped. “No, forget it. Whatever idiotic idea Toma had, it can wait.”

“Hey, what I found is not stupid,” Toma said. “I think it might be something big, but since no one wants to listen—”

“I am not refusing to listen,” Ken said, “though in my experience, you will wish to postpone this conversation for the next.... ten minutes, at least. I say this more for your sake than mine. I will feel the same regardless of our choice of topic, but it would seem some of you find this particular display even more uncomfortable than the other ones I've made lately.”

“Still using all the big words while puking,” Toma said. “I gotta say, Kent, that's a bit impressive.”

“That's nothing,” Ikki said. “I mean, he can still do some really complicated calculations in his head while he's puking, which is part of why he's an entertaining drunk.”

“Ikkyu.”

Ikki sighed. “You know I didn't want to do it, right? I didn't have any other choice.”

Ken nodded, once, still looking completely miserable. “Were it otherwise, you would not have done it. Did... I damage anything this time? Last time, the lab... you needed stitches.”

“It didn't get that far this time,” Ikki said. “No one got hurt, nothing got broke, and you were... almost calm after I gave you the pills. I mean, you thought I was the psycho torturing you and had drugged you as well as burned you, but you mostly just... curled up on yourself and eventually ended up with the lady's lap as your pillow for a second time.”

“What?” Ken looked over at Kokoa in shock. “I... If I did something that made you uncomfortable or—”

“No,” she said. “It was my choice. No one else knew what to do. I didn't, either, but... I couldn't stand to watch you suffer. So I tried to help like I've helped Orion, but... you thought I was part of it... that you were dying... and that my kindness was a trick.”

“Which is wrong because she's a nice person,” Orion said. Then he grimaced. “But I guess she's not so nice to you most of the time? Still, she did try. She even did that thing she does with me where she combs through my hair. Though... that was the trick? It was kind of weird how you reacted.”

Ken winced. “I suppose that would do it.”

“Ken?”

“He... held me... by the hair as he... burned me.”

Kokoa flinched. “I'm sorry. I had no idea.”

Ken shook his head. “I didn't, either, until last night. Even now, I cannot say why those memories have finally surfaced, only that... they have.”

Shin watched him. “You get all of it back or just pieces?”

“Unfortunately, there remains gaps in my memory. I do have more to discuss with all of you, but as I said, you'll feel more comfortable waiting a bit longer, and I would like to... clean myself up first. I... Ikkyu, I don't think I have sufficient feeling in my extremities.”

“I really wish this wasn't a muscle relaxant,” Ikki said. “It's okay. We've dealt with this before. You just stand up and see how that goes, and if you need to, you can lean on me.”

“What if he pukes on you?”

“Oh, we've already negotiated those terms,” Ikki said with a laugh. “Right, Ken?”

“Anything he says now would be a falsehood meant to take advantage of the rampant gullibility in this room,” Ken answered, closing his eyes again. “The coffee and food is upstairs, and I do not enjoy being entertainment. Go see to your own breakfast. There is no reason any of you are incapable of that.”

“Fair enough,” Shin said. He looked at Kokoa. She flinched under his look and moved closer to Ken, her face betraying her pain as she did. “You staying here or you want one of us to help you?”

She grimaced. “I'd rather not be carried, I've already said that, but I don't have any choice, and if everyone's going to be discussing the case, I don't want to stay down here alone. I don't want to be alone, period, but after that...”

She shivered. Orion frowned. “Neesan, about that—” 

“I'm fine,” she insisted, though she clearly wasn't. “I... I'm sorry about earlier, Kent. I...”

He shook his head. “You do not have to apologize. It is unsettling waking in a strange environment.”

She flushed. “I... Yes. I... That's... Can I borrow another shirt?”

Ken blinked in surprise. “I... Yes. Of course. We'll have to make other arrangements for that later when a delivery or leaving the house is... an option. I...”

He stood, and Ikki moved a step closer just in case he lost his balance. Ken falling now would not be good. He didn't have to be the one to get the shirt, either, even if his lady had asked it of him. That was too much for him right now.

“Easy,” Ikki said. “Just tell her brother which drawer has the shirt, and we'll get you to the bathroom. You worry about that for now. Don't let this stuff fool you. You know how bad it is if you fall, and Waka's not here to pick you up this time.”

Ken grunted. “You are not amusing, still... some of your points are valid. Orion, the top drawer on the left should have something suitable. I should have grabbed something for myself...”

“I'll bring it along in a minute.”

* * *

Orion went to the dresser, feeling a bit weird that Kent had let him do this. It wasn't like he didn't have good reason—he looked dizzy enough leaning on Ikki on his way out of the room, and Orion had already seen him sick this morning. He'd still tried to comfort Neesan, and that was nice, but also strange. Orion really didn't know what to think of Kent or how his sister acted around him. She seemed to like him, but if she had, why was she so mean to him? And was he really as mean back as he'd said?

He shook his head, pulling out a long shirt that really would be more like a dress on Neesan, but he didn't mind because there were way too many guys around here, and the others were still watching her now that Ikki and Kent were gone.

Ikki came back into the room, picking up the gross bowl Kent had used earlier. “I meant to tell you that you could probably leave her to me. I'll check her bandages and redress them before I bring her upstairs. I'm a bit worried about that one on her leg still.”

“You're not staying in there with Kent?”

Ikki shook his head. “No. Is that what you think I do? Everything? Ken's capable of managing a lot on his own even on these drugs, and yes, there is a risk of him falling, but some things a man needs to do for himself. He doesn't need me babying him. He'll do what he can, and I basically figure out how bad he's feeling by whether or not he chooses to shave.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Toma said. “I'll go start the coffee. Come on, Shin. She'll be fine with her brother and Ikki.”

“He's still got to make sure Kent gets up the stairs.”

“True,” Ikki said, “but if you're worried about how long it will take me to do all this, you can always empty the bowl.”

Shin glared at him before walking away. Toma laughed, jogging after him. Ikki smiled before turning back to Orion. “That's a good choice. I'll still be able to look at her wounds since it buttons up. I'll just get rid of this while you get changed. Sound fair?”

Neesan nodded. “Yes, thank you, Ikki.”

Orion carried the shirt back to his sister, checking to make sure Ikki was out of the room before he gave it to her. He turned away, not wanting to watch her change. “Neesan...”

“I know you're worried. I'm worried, too,” she said. “And I'm frustrated because I don't remember everything, though... that last memory was pretty scary, and I almost wish I didn't remember it at all. And I don't want to go back to the hospital, but I am pretty sore and... I can't believe I did that to Kent earlier.”

“You were scared. It was like me waking up from a nightmare and clinging to you,” Orion told her. “Though why you'd pick Kent for that... I guess you do know him better than anyone here besides me, and I can't really comfort you like someone bigger can—”

“No,” she said, tugging on his shirt and pulling him back to her. She put her arms around him. “You're my baby brother, and having you with me has always been a comfort. Don't think it hasn't.”

Orion smiled. “I love you, too, Neesan.”

“Ah, now that's a moment for Ukyo's camera,” Ikki said. Orion glared at him. What if he'd come in while she was still changing? “I just need to grab another shirt for Ken, and then I'll be back to do those bandages.”

Neesan nodded.

“Ikki's really nice,” Orion said, “but I keep wondering what he's up to.”

She ruffled his hair. “I don't think you have to worry about Ikki. You should probably go up and change your clothes, too. Didn't you get new things with Ikki?”

“Yes, but they were super expensive, and Ikki wouldn't listen when I said we were paying him back, and so I didn't want to change there, and then after that, we went to the cafe and...”

“Go ahead and change,” she told him. “I'll meet you in the kitchen. Maybe there are more of the eggs you like so much.”

* * *

“Ah, I see I am the last to rise again,” Ukyo observed as he came into the already crowded kitchen. The table in the other half of the room was actually almost full this time, with Sawa and Mine sitting next to Orion and his sister. “Is there any coffee?”

“Yes, but I made it, not Kent, so take that as a warning,” Toma answered, leaning back to sip from his cup. Ukyo frowned, not sure why that mattered.

“Ikki complained about it before he went back down to make sure Kent didn't fall on his way up,” Shin said. He shrugged. “I didn't try it, so I have no idea. Toma says it's fine.”

“It is fine.”

“I almost wish I'd had some yesterday to be able to tell the difference,” Kokoa said. She frowned. “I'm not even sure I ever got my tea. You started an argument with Ikki over his clothes—”

“Because he wasn't wearing any.”

“—And then you started talking about the shopping trip and then the Pikachu—”

“Ikki? Without clothes?” Mine shrieked. “You saw that?”

“Technically she did not,” Kent said as he entered the room, stopping to lean on the wall just inside the doorway. He closed his eyes, looking like he might fall. “Ikkyu was not naked. He was not appropriately dressed, but he was wearing clothing.”

“I can show you what it was like,” Ikki offered as he came in behind Kent. “All it takes is undoing a few buttons and then—”

“Ikkyu,” Kent said, and Ikki shrugged, still grinning at the women. “It is better if you simply ignore him. The more encouragement you give, the more ridiculous his actions will become.”

“He's ridiculous enough without encouragement,” Shin grumbled, drinking from his melon soda.

Kent did not respond, but he forced himself away from the wall. Ikki took his arm and prodded him toward the table where the others sat. He tried to push Ikki away, but then he stumbled and relented, letting Ikki help him the rest of the way to the open seat next to Kokoa.

Ukyo found himself grabbing his camera as soon as he did. Was that intentional? Kent was known to be somewhat of a creature of habit, and he saw no reason not to own several of the same shirt as long as it fit well and was not uncomfortable to work in, even after Ikki tried to encourage him to vary it up more with some very... interesting gifts, so it wasn't impossible that he had two of the exact same.

What was amusing was that Kokoa was wearing one while he had the other. Ukyo knew he was not the only one to notice. Sawa and Mine were exchanging looks and giggles, while Orion frowned at them. Ikki, however, seemed quite pleased with himself.

Kent put a hand to his head. “You said Waka left in the night?”

“Yes,” Toma answered, bringing a cup of coffee over to Kent's spot. He set it down, eyes going a bit wide as he did. “At least, I assume so. He's not in any of the other rooms. I don't know—has he ever stayed over, even when we were in the middle of a tough case like this?”

“Not to my knowledge, but then I hardly go checking to make sure any of you are in bed if you do end up staying,” Kent answered. He reached for the coffee and took a sip.

“Should you really be drinking something like that right now?”

“Your lack of affection for bitter things aside, there is some basis for your question as the beverage is acidic in nature, but I find that it matters little what I eat or drink after having that medication. If I am going to have another round of illness, it seems to come regardless of what I have consumed, and I see no reason to alter my habits any more than I've already been forced to. That said, this coffee is terrible.”

Toma sighed. “The thanks I get...”

Shin rolled his eyes. “Just tell us what you found already.”

“I can't,” Toma said, and Shin glared at him. “I need to show you, and this is one of the few rooms that isn't set up like that. Apparently, someone felt that meals should be eaten without the distraction of a television.”

Kent shook his head. “It's not that. I would see value in having a way to monitor my experiments while I was taking care of necessary tasks like eating, but I used any surplus I had converting the vault into a lab.”

“That's true. He's much more likely to buy new equipment for that than to have anything new installed somewhere else. That's all come from me, I think,” Ikki said, shrugging. “Not that I mind. Ken's got plenty of space, and I'm here often enough I get the use of most of it.”

“Wait,” Sawa said. “This house is... yours, Kent? How is... that's... I thought some rich man owned it and remodeled it and... this is just a place you use as a safe house, right?”

“Apparently, Kento here won it in a bet with math,” Toma said. “Though if we tell you that story now, Shin will get annoyed with us and leave.”

“I've already stayed here a lot longer than I should have. We're wasting time as it is and—”

“He told me he intended to kill all of you,” Kent said, his voice cutting through the room like a knife. “I don't know why he didn't before, but that doesn't matter. He's clearly set on killing you now. You weren't meant to survive that fire.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kent has a theory and Toma has another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was able to use a couple of the flashbacks for this part, which I'm grateful for. I didn't want all of that to go to waste.

* * *

Shin folded his arms over his chest, his mouth set in a thin line. It wasn't like he was an idiot, he knew the job he'd taken on meant risks, and he did one of the more dangerous parts of it, infiltrating criminal organizations and pretending to be one of them. Retaliation for that could mean death, if he even survived them finding out in the first place.

Still, he accepted the risk. He knew he could die, and he was okay with that. He didn't do it because of his father—that was what Toma thought, but he was wrong—but Shin had his reasons. He'd worked hard to get to where he was, and he wasn't about to quit.

This case shouldn't be that different. He wasn't easily intimidated, none of them were, but they weren't dealing with yakuza in-fighting or a high profile murder this time. This wasn't even their first serial killer.

It was the first that had gone after one of their own.

Kent was a mess, and it didn't even stop there. This guy wanted them all dead. Was it really about Waka, then, not Kent? Or was it just because they worked with him?

Shin didn't want to believe Kent was right about that. None of them wanted to hear they were targets, too, though they also weren't stupid. The fire yesterday showed them that this guy could get close to them without their notice. If he could do that, then all of them were still in danger now.

That made Shin's need to do something about this, now, that much worse. He wasn't about to sit around here waiting for this guy to pick them off.

“There is more,” Kent said. Ikki and Toma frowned. Ukyo winced. “Shin, the headmaster. Was he at work on Friday?”

“No,” Shin answered, not sure what Kent was getting at. He thought it was someone in the department, didn't he? Was he going to tell them to stop looking into the headmaster, too? “That was why I hadn't finished with him. He's conveniently out of town, right when she goes missing and turns up injured? I didn't like it. I still don't, even if we're probably looking at someone else for this.”

Kokoa shuddered. “I don't—that wasn't—I don't think... I should know, but I don't.”

“You shouldn't blame yourself, and I don't think you're wrong,” Kent said. He faced Shin again. “He may be missing for other reasons.”

“Wait, are you saying what I think you're saying?” Shin demanded. Not that it was impossible, he knew it wasn't, and so did the others. Toma swore under his breath, and even Ikki looked worried. “When did you come up with this idea, anyway? Just now?”

“Last night, not long before I... before I went into the fugue,” Kent answered. He closed his eyes and took a breath. “Ukyo, would you have Makato check the photos you gave him against ones of Taniguchi?”

Ukyo nodded. “I'll do that now. It won't take me long.”

“Wait,” Kent said, stopping him before he could leave. “If that thought is right... we may be looking at more in the recent fires with ties to someone on the task force in some way, most likely to me, but not necessarily... and the fact that most of them remain unidentified...”

“You think this guy targeted criminals for the fires?” Ikki asked, frowning. “It would make them even less likely to be identified in some sense, since their friends and family aren't likely to cooperate with us or even report them missing, but that doesn't fit with the other known victims.”

“I may be wrong,” Kent said. “It is only a half-formed theory, after all, with little proof, but... his work in Tokyo seems to have a different purpose. When he hunted in Kyoto, he didn't want to be caught. Now, though... he's taking dangerous risks. Yesterday's fire was almost like... a tantrum thrown by a child who didn't get his way.”

“Because he didn't kill you,” the woman said, and Kent looked at her with a frown. “He told me you were dead. He believed he killed you when he killed your parents. He said... he wanted to ask you why you lied to me about my parents' death because you knew he'd killed them... but he couldn't ask you because he'd killed you. I didn't want to believe him, but he... he also said... he didn't to break you like he wanted, regretted not getting a second round...”

“You're sure about that?” Toma asked. “This guy really thought Kent was dead all this time?”

Shin folded his arms over his chest. She'd obviously gotten more back, and no one bothered to say anything about it. Had that come last night, too? And, what, she sat on it until now? Even if she thought she was protecting Kent, that didn't make it better.

“We did question Waka about that,” Ikki said. “Or at least I did. The media coverage was conflicting at best, and he could have done that intentionally. Even if he didn't, think about the reaction the officers at the fire had to seeing Ken there. And those two thought he was dead, too. It's entirely possible that the only people that knew Ken was still alive were the five of us and his therapist. She happened to have been handpicked by Waka.”

Ukyo shook his head. “All the people in the hospital—”

“They wouldn't let me see him,” she said. “They wouldn't even admit he was there. Maybe he wasn't. I only got the information from the news, but... they weren't telling anyone anything, wouldn't allow me to leave a card just in case he was there and wasn't able to see anyone, no flowers or anything.”

“Well, part of that would have been the burns and the risk of infection, but Ukyo meant that the staff knew about Ken's survival.”

“We pulled him out because those idiots wanted to put him in a psych ward,” Ikki said. Kent winced, lowering his head. “And I don't know what strings Waka pulled to do that, but he was really angry when I told him about it. I wouldn't be surprised if people lost jobs over it.”

“Why would they put him in a psych ward?” Mine asked. “I mean, he's rude, but he's not crazy.”

Kent pinched his nose. “They said I was... violent when I had nightmares. I could never remember the nightmares before, but if they were anything like what I experienced last night, I can see why I might have tried to fight them.”

Ikki shook his head. “From what I've seen of your nightmares, they were still out of line. And who the hell wouldn't be scared to wake up to a bunch of orderlies holding them down to sedate them?”

“Like the vision arc,” Orion said, biting his lip. “That was scary. Was it really like that for Kent? They hurt him like those guys did you on the show?”

“No,” Kent said at the same time as Ikki said, “Yes.”

* * *

_“And then, of course, she gave me her number and told me to call her later,” Ikki said, shaking his head. “Right in front of her boyfriend, which usually means trouble, but this one... I don't know. I think he wanted me to call her.”_

_He looked over at Ken, frowning. That wasn't right. He hadn't even gotten an annoyed 'Ikkyu.' He should have had that if not a whole lecture on why he did not need to hear of Ikki's romantic exploits or some comment about the changing roles and social dynamics, but all he got was silence. He'd tried to get used to that when Ken was unconscious more than he was awake and never did._

_Ken could get quiet when he was thinking, but these days, even thinking seemed to be dangerous. Ken's head was a dark place these days, not that anyone could blame him for that. He was in constant pain with those burns and his leg, and every day he had to wake up in this place, which was depressing as hell. Because of Ken's burns and the possibility of infection, he couldn't have much of anything around him, no flowers and few decorations. As far as Ikki knew, he was still the only one of them that came to visit—he'd never run into any of the others but then Shin and Toma were both undercover again._

_“Ken?”_

_“The nightmare last night was so severe they were forced to restrain and sedate me,” Ken whispered, his eyes on his hands. “I do not remember the dream, but I... I remember that.”_

_Ikki winced. He'd done an arc like that one the show, where he was having psychic visions in his dreams, and they were horrifying—though all done in other scenes he didn't see—but even just acting out the part where the orderlies held him down and sedated him was unsettling and he knew it was an act. Still, they'd been big—chosen for physical size, not acting ability—and he'd still ended up a bit bruised._

_That was fake, though. Ken was living this nightmare._

_“I imagine my arms would be covered in bruises if they were not scarred,” Ken said, his eyes still on his hands. “I find myself... more sore than I was yesterday on waking.”_

_Ikki winced. That better be wrong. He was going to have a word with the doctor after this, he swore it. And it wouldn't be a kind one._

_“Look, it's going to be rough for a while, but you're getting better. You can't rush it. You went through a lot in that fire.”_

_“I need to leave this hospital.”_

_“You will. It will just take some time.”_

_“No, Ikkyu, not in time. Now,” Ken said. “I overheard them talking. They... they want to move me to the psychiatric ward.”_

_Ikki balled up a fist. “That's ridiculous. You're not crazy. You're... you lived through hell not that long ago—”_

_“Ikkyu—”_

_“Yes, terrible pun, I know, but Ken, you are not crazy. You're hurt. That's different. You... you have every right to be the way you are right now. You almost died. Your parents did die. Having nightmares about that would be perfectly normal, and I am going to go find that idiot that wants to—”_

_“I am not an emotional person by nature,” Ken said. “And these... outbursts are... not like me. I do feel out of control. And... afraid. I am gripped by a terror I can't... it's completely irrational. No logic or reason can stop these moods, and I feel like... like I am... I hate this. And the part of me that is rational and calm... if they put me in the psychiatric ward—”_

_“Not going to happen,” Ikki said. He knew that couldn't be allowed. It wasn't right, but if anyone heard that about Ken, he'd lose all credibility as a forensics expert and a researcher, and in that case, Ikki should just put Ken out of his misery. He wouldn't, but Ken saw himself as nothing more than a mathematician. He didn't see his value as a person, only as a researcher, and that would be lost if word got out about this. It didn't matter that Ken had valid reasons for being how he was right now. They'd see his trauma as a reason to dismiss his work._

_Ikki would not let that happen. “Trust me, I will get you out of here before that happens. You're not crazy. You're not dangerous. You're just... hurting.”_

_Ken sighed. “There is a very irrational part of me that thinks the dreams are something important that I have to remember, but my own mind seems to rebel against knowing what is in them. I do not understand.”_

_“Well, your overly rational side might think there's no reason you can't handle remembering how exactly your mom died, but your emotional side—which does exist—doesn't want that memory,” Ikki said. “And I can't blame it for that. I know, even with as angry as I still am with my parents, if I saw that... It would affect me. You loved your parents—don't look at me like that. Your family was odd, but there was love there. I saw it. It was weird and unconventional, but your parents loved you and you loved them right back. It wasn't like television or movies or even what you've seen of the others—I mean, Shin and Toma's parents are kind of dysfunctional, too, but in a completely different way. That doesn't make your family any less important to you. It just means... you showed your love in other ways. It was still there. God, Ken, just thinking about the way they spoke about you... honest but so proud... they loved you.”_

_Ken lowered his head. “I got them killed. How is that love?”_

_Ikki winced, moving to comfort his friend. “You did not get them killed. You are not to blame for this. It's not your fault.”_

_He put his hand on Ken's shoulder. Ken jerked away from him with a scream, startling Ikki into silence._

_“Don't touch me.”_

_“I'm sorry. I forgot about the burns, but—”_

_“No. You don't—it's not—I can feel... It's not... It doesn't make sense... It's not... she was already dead...” Ken curled up against himself, shuddering. “There's no one... he couldn't... Don't touch me. Just... don't touch me.”_

_“Okay,” Ikki said, wincing. He wouldn't do that again, he knew better, with all the pain Ken was in, but he had wanted to help. He saw someone in the doorway and grimaced. “We're fine. He's fine. Just leave him alone for a while.”_

_The nurse didn't look convinced, and Ikki knew this was not good._

* * *

_“I need your help with something.”_

_Waka looked up from the stack of folders on his desk, and Ikki wondered for a minute if he'd picked a really bad time or if this would be a welcome interruption. He had no idea how Waka felt about paperwork. No one around here was brave enough to ask, though if Ken wasn't in the hospital, they might have gotten him to do it. They could usually get him to ask the questions the others were too afraid to ask. Ken had a healthy respect for Waka, it wasn't that he didn't, but he was also not half as intimidated as the rest of them were and saw no logical reason to be so afraid._

_After all, Waka would never kill anyone useful, right?_

_“I am listening.”_

_“I need to move Ken out of the facility he's in. Today, preferably, and I'd just use my money to make that happen, but the bank's got a rule and put the money under a twenty-four hour hold, and while I know it's a lot of money, it's still annoying, so I thought you could cut through some of the red tape like you always do.”_

_Waka folded his hands together and rested his chin on them. “And why, exactly, do we need to move Kent?”_

_Ikki grimaced. “They want to move him to the psychiatric ward.”_

_“What?” Waka might not have moved, but he was angry. Ikki knew him well enough to be sure of that, even if his voice had only altered slightly. He was furious._

_“His nightmares are bad, and they had to restrain him,” Ikki said. “But even if they did—and I don't think that they should have had to, but I wasn't there, so I can't be sure—they're medical professionals. He's got burns all over his arms and back, what did they think would happen if they touched him?”_

_“You experienced this reaction for yourself?”_

_Ikki sighed. “I tried to reassure him, touched his shoulder, and he... overreacted, but that doesn't mean he needs to be locked up. They can't do that to him. He's not insane or dangerous. He's not. Ken is... He's traumatized. He was almost killed in a fire that did kill his parents, and his mom died right in front of him. He has a right to be messed up about it, even if he's not usually that emotional. And that shouldn't mean anything to them because they don't even know him as the logical robot Shin thinks he is.”_

_“Agreed.”_

_“And if they lock him in a psych ward, his reputation as a forensics expert and a researcher—”_

_“You do not have to tell me what will happen to that,” Waka said. “Do you know the full state of his physical wounds?”_

_Ikki grimaced. “His leg's still bad enough I don't think they'd release him. He can't walk on his own, and with all the stairs in his place, he'd have problems, but then again... he could probably live in the basement with the lab for a while. Aside from getting in and out of the house, he'd manage well enough down there. I don't know that he's ready to be out of a hospital completely, but if they put him in that other ward—”_

_“No, that cannot happen,” Waka said. He rose. “If the hospital staff believes this is necessary, other facilities may feel so as well.”_

_“I know, but we can at least delay it for a bit. Ken's not crazy. He's not a danger to anyone. He doesn't deserve this, and they're just going to make him worse by holding him down and sedating him or locking him up.”_

_Waka nodded. “I will arrange to have him transferred to a rehabilitation center that will focus on restoring his mobility so that he can return home. However, these other issues will need to be addressed.”_

_Ikki nodded. “I know. Ken's not really big on therapy, not that kind, but if we get someone who specializes in trauma like this, it would be better than letting them lock him away and assign whoever they please to him. He's not a typical patient. He's... I think this is going to be even harder for him because he's not used to dealing with his emotions. He buries them or ignores them, focusing on what can be proven and making decisions based on logic even when they go against everything he feels.”_

_“That is not always true. We have all observed him making decisions based on instinct, something he's developed here, working for the police, as well as having a better understanding of killer's motives that someone so completely out of touch with his emotions should have.”_

_“I know Ken feels stuff,” Ikki said. “I'm not saying he doesn't. He... he even admitted to me that his dreams terrify him. At the same time, he seems to think there's something there he needs to remember and I just... does he really have to know what it was like when his mom died? Why does he have to have that memory? He's suffered enough.”_

_Waka reached over to adjust the frame on his photograph, one of the six of them outside the courthouse after their first conviction. Toma was giving Shin bunny ears while he glowered at the camera, Ukyo looked uncomfortable to be on that end of the lens. Ikki had managed to get Ken to give him a fist bump right before the flash, and Waka was standing in the back, a small smile on his face._

_“It feels insufficient,” Waka said, and Ikki frowned at his words. He didn't really mean Ken should suffer more, did he? Waka turned back to him. “You and the others have arrested or incapacitated an entire yakuza family—a small one, but a family nevertheless—and yet it does not feel like enough.”_

_“I think we'd all like to get our hands on the one who actually set that bomb and make him suffer a very slow, very painful death,” Ikki admitted. “As long as they keep sticking to their story of all of them did it, this is the best we can do.”_

_Waka nodded._

_“Is something going on we should know about?”_

_“The superintendent has disbanded the task force,” Waka said. “That was my call to make, not his, but he seems to think that Kent's injuries and my refusal to replace him mean that we cannot continue.”_

_Ikki grimaced. “Can he actually do that? I thought the decision to form the task force came from someone higher up. And—no. Just... No. I am not going back to being their glorified poster boy. I refuse.”_

_“I would hardly assign you to such a role. You are far more valuable where you are. Rest assured I will not send you back to that, even if I can't assign you to cases as I would the task force.”_

_Ikki nodded. He'd have to settle for that. “Do the others know?”_

_“Not yet. Shin and Toma are both out of contact at the moment, and Ukyo is away. I will tell them when they return.” Waka paused. “I'd advise you not to tell Kent. Though I am certain he will eventually learn of it, he does not need to take on any extra guilt.”_

_Though Ikki knew it wasn't his fault—Ken hadn't asked to be injured and was doing what he could to speed up his recovery, much to his doctors' annoyance—he also knew Kent would still blame himself._

_“I won't tell him. I might give the superintendent a piece of my mind, but I won't tell Ken.”_

_Waka smiled thinly. “Try not to get yourself fired. My influence only goes so far.”_

* * *

“The main thing that bothered me was that any credibility I had as a researcher would be gone if they put me in that ward, justified or not,” Kent said, clearly uncomfortable, but then Toma couldn't blame him if the hospital staff had basically abused him in that state. They'd all seen how bad he looked, and touching Kent had set him off, but Ikki was right. It didn't make what they'd done okay.

“That's not right,” Orion said. “You don't seem crazy to me.”

“No? That is strange,” Kent said. He grimaced, putting a hand to his stomach. Ikki reached into his coat and took out a small package of crackers, passing them to him.

Toma sighed. So much for progress. “Okay, I guess we should wait on discussing more until you're not going to puke on us again.”

Kent waved away the crackers. “You don't need to stop for my sake. I won't pretend I'm fine, but I refuse to do nothing because of a couple pills.”

“Ken's got a point. You're not going to make it worse one way or another by saying what you wanted to say. Whether he pukes again or not has nothing to with what's being said or even where we are,” Ikki said. “It's the medication, and it can hit any time in the next three days or not at all.”

“Ukyo can pass on that stuff to the skull guy,” Shin said. “We don't have any other names or pictures to pass along, so he may as well go. Then we can move into a room with a screen like Toma wants and see whatever it was he thinks he's found.”

Toma nodded. “And you may as well all come. I'd be asking you about it eventually, but I don't mind doing it all at once to save a bit of time.”

“In that case, my lady, allow me,” Ikki said, quickly picking Kokoa up out of her chair before anyone could protest. “We really don't need you making that leg of yours worse.”

Kent watched them go with a frown, and Toma thought it was kind of funny because her brother had one, too. Shin shook his head, muttering to himself as he did. The girls got up and rushed over after them. Toma hung back, waiting for Kent.

“Why does Ikki always have to do that?” Orion asked. “She said I didn't have to worry about him, but he's always flirting with her.”

Toma tried not to laugh. Had Orion missed that someone—Ikki, most likely—had dressed Kent and his sister alike today? It was pretty obvious to the rest of them. Even Shin probably knew, though he would ignore it, as usual. “He's doing it to get a rise out of someone.”

“Ikkyu is quite childish,” Kent said, getting to his feet. “It is best to ignore him, as I advised before.”

Toma just smiled as he walked with them, taking up the rear in case Kent did get dizzy again and stumble, but he seemed to manage better than before, not even needing to stop and rest before reaching the other room. He faltered in the doorway, though that might well have to do with the fact that the only open seats were on either side of Kokoa. Ikki was really pushing it right now.

And he knew it, too, from that smirk.

Kent awkwardly took the spot Orion hadn't chosen, sitting as close to the end of the couch and away from her as possible, looking queasy again.

“So when exactly did this guy tell you all that about Kent?” Shin asked, shoving Toma toward the television. He grimaced, but he went over to prepare his files anyway. He'd been waiting for this all morning.

“Just before he did this,” she said, lifting her arms, and Toma flinched. “I... He did ask me where Kent put the evidence, but I didn't even know what he was talking about.”

“Neesan,” Orion said with a wince. She reached over and combed his hair, trying to reassure him.

“But you saw him,” Shin said, still watching her. “Can you describe him?”

She shook her head. Kent glanced at her and then spoke. “Unfortunately, it would seem that she saw the same thing that I did.”

“You didn't mention seeing him,” Shin said, clearly frustrated.

“I only did for a moment, and were it not for her statement, I would doubt the validity of my recollection. During most of our interaction, he was behind me, holding that torch to my skin. But when he killed my mother...”

Ikki flinched. “Ken, you don't have to—”

“I saw a mask, just as she did. I hadn't spoken of it, so I assume that our two separate memories are correct and it was not just a hallucination brought on by pain or confusion of the mind. He wore a demon mask, like those worn by ancient samurai. It obscured his face aside from his eyes.”

She nodded, shivering. “They... it'll sound stupid, but... they were evil. Just... evil.”

“Doesn't sound at all stupid to me, not given what we're dealing with,” Toma said. He looked over to see Ukyo coming back into the room. “I had this thought last night after we went our separate ways, so I got the files and did a little work on them. So here's the message as it was left on Kent's voicemail.”

_“I've been watching you. I know where you eat, every day at that ugly little cafe. I know the path you'll take to walk home. I know. I know it all.”_

Kokoa tensed, grabbing hold of Kent's arm. Already tense, Kent flinched, but he covered her hand as she closed her eyes, her whispers full of fear and horror. “That was him. That voice. That's how he sounded... He spoke like that when he...”

Her brother wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her, but he didn't look much better than she did, scared as he was for her. Toma hated putting everyone through this, but he knew he couldn't stop here. This was too important.

“Kent?”

“No. Not when he spoke to me,” Kent said. “He was... controlled. Angry, full of hate and intent to do harm, but not... that. Not... so clearly unbalanced. He seemed... sane. Just... evil, for lack of a better word.”

Ukyo frowned. “We're not talking about two different people, are we? With a mask, that is possible, we all know that, but... could it be two people?”

Kent tensed. “I admit there was a side thought that I dismissed rather easily about twins. That was... If he was somehow controlling investigations here, how was he going so unnoticed in Kyoto? Was it possible he had a job in both departments? That didn't seem possible, not without two people or twins, but I didn't think much of the idea.”

“That the one you figured would get the superintendent to lock you up as a crazy person?”

Kent blinked. “I said that?”

“Somewhere in the middle of your rambling theorizing, yes,” Toma said. He saw Shin looking at him. “Hey, Ikki might have been having a side conversation about her teaching Kent to cook, but I was listening. Sometimes I get ideas of my own, and none of us wants to be completely dependent on Kent or Waka to solve any of our cases.”

“True,” Ikki said. “I did look into the headmaster's finances after everyone was settled again last night, but if Ken's theory about the fires is right, it wasn't worth much. I think the guy was headed for Shinano, but that doesn't mean anything.”

“You could have mentioned that, too.”

“I've been a little busy, Shin, and it may not matter anyway.”

Toma figured Ikki had a point. He'd had Kent and Kokoa to take care of this morning, and before it would even have come up, Kent had told them their suspect was likely one of the victims.

“Toma,” Kent said, looking like he really didn't want to say what he was about to say. “You didn't finish that recording, did you?”

“I think we all got the point,” Shin said. “Or are you getting masochistic all of a sudden?”

Kent shook his head. “No, but... from what I remember... of the threats and the transcripts.. that one... there's laughter, too, isn't there?”

Toma nodded, letting the rest of it play, including the psychotic laughter at the end. He saw the looks on the others' faces and felt almost like he'd hurt everyone. Orion ducked his head into his sister's shirt, and she was hardly able to comfort him, shaking as she was, her grip on Kent's hand had to be painful. Ukyo winced, looking very much like a kicked puppy. Ikki shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting to the trio on the couch. Even Shin reacted as soon as he heard it, balling up a fist.

“Yeah, that's what I thought,” Toma said. “It's the same, isn't it?”


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few more pieces fall into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I rewrote Sawa's scene five times... I really wanted it to work and flow into Toma's reveal at the end, but it wasn't working out so well.
> 
> Still, after all this time... it's here. Mostly.

* * *

_“Are you scared?” He laughed as he came closer. “I can't decide which I like more—the fear or the defiance. Perhaps I like them both the same. A mix is always nice. Kent gave me that. Oh, yes, he did. He couldn't help but react to the pain, but he wasn't really afraid of me. Still, he begged me not to kill his mother. Then he went right back to defying me... refused to tell me what I wanted, just like you.”_

_She pulled on the cords but couldn't free herself. Her leg was throbbing, and she swore she was going to die if he got close to her. She had to do something. Now._

_“I told you I could make this less painful for you,” he said, leaning over her again, the torch burning some of her hair. “You just have to tell me what I want to know.”_

_He was going to kill her anyway, and she didn't know what he wanted to know. Whatever he thought Kent had given her, he hadn't. She knew that, even if she knew nothing else at all. Kent had kept the truth of her parents' death from her, and she should hate him for that._

_She wanted to... but she didn't._

_“No? Perhaps you're stronger than I thought. Some of them do surprise me,” the demon said, laughing again. “How funny that you would be one of them. Your parents were so weak. Your father didn't even fight me when he died. He was quick and so easy... Your mother... she was nothing as well. Pathetically moaning as I set the fire...”_

_“You're evil.”_

_“Ah, but if I'd known about you,” he grabbed her hair and forced her head up so that she was looking at him as he pressed the torch to her arm. She screamed, tears spilling from her eyes at the sudden pain. “I'd have taken a much, much longer time there. You have such unexpected strength. You seem frail and meek, especially when you're working, but you're not, are you? Taking care of baby brother all on your own...”_

_“Leave Orion alone,” she said, glaring at him. She didn't care how much he hurt her. He wouldn't touch Orion. Somehow, she had to keep him safe._

_“You think you can give me orders?” He cackled, lifting the torch up by her face, the heat almost burning her. “No, but playing with you is almost like playing with Kent. He tried to do the same. Thought he could save his mother, then his team... I should make this last. After all, you cried for him, didn't you? What was dear Kent to you?”_

_She turned her head away, sure more of her hair was burning._

_“You can't even answer that? That's a much simpler question, isn't it?” He pressed on the knife, and she screamed again. “That's it. Answer me. You might keep baby brother safe if you can hold out. That's what Kent thought... are you smart enough to try?”_

_She closed her eyes. Her arm hurt, and she wanted to cry again, but she wouldn't, not in front of this man. He wanted that, and she wouldn't give it to him. She did have to stall, though. If that could save Orion, she had to do it._

_“Well? Do you have an answer?”_

_“He was a friend,” she said, though that hardly described their relationship. She knew it wasn't right. Kent wouldn't call them friends. Even Sawa and Mine would think that was crazy, but... Kent had been kind to her, and he'd acted like a friend more than once. He'd taken care of her and helped her, and she... she had rejected him. She'd overreacted to that part of her that would have willingly let someone else take the burden for a while, that selfish, traitorous part of her that was tired._

_She'd been so tired of taking care of everything, of work, of being Orion's parent when she just wanted to be his sister, of knowing every day she was further from the dreams she'd had for herself, of ignoring what she wanted for his sake. She remembered how it felt to have Kent take care of her for a change, and she'd actually wanted more of that, but she'd never admit that, no, because that... that was betraying Orion._

_“Kent doesn't have friends. Well... he soon won't.”_

_She looked up at the flame and shuddered. He'd already said Kent was dead. What was he talking about?_

_“That team of his... so useless without him. Even Waka couldn't make them work again,” he seemed pleased with himself, though he wasn't laughing this time. “They scattered, pathetic little minions, unable to think for themselves. Even now they don't see my work for what it is. So I will make them see it. Then I will kill them, one by one... because it no longer matters. Even if they had what Kent gave you, they can't stop me.”_

_“No,” she said, and he turned to her, the torch coming close to her cheek again. “Kent's team was the best. He'd never have allowed himself to work with people that he didn't think were capable. That wasn't who he was. And... he told me about them... about how Shin can take out entire criminal organizations—with or without Toma's help—and Toma studied to be a lawyer but likes using computers and surveillance equipment—and Ukyo always seems to find what other people miss in his photographs and Ikki is good with finances and a lot of other things, like on his television show—they'll stop you. Even without Kent, they'll find you and stop you.”_

_He snarled at her, yanking her hair again as he pressed the torch against her other arm. She bit back on her scream, trying to hold it in even as he kept moving it up, further and further like he would burn her whole side._

_“They won't stop me. And they won't save you. No one will. No one even knows you're here.”_

_She didn't tell him Orion already had to know she was missing. He wouldn't just sit and wait for her to come home, either. She knew him better than that._

_“You are the perfect addition to my little trap, though,” he told her with another evil laugh. “A pretty little thing like you? How could Ikki resist that?”_

* * *

“That laughter is so awful,” Mine whispered, and Sawa nodded, feeling sick to her stomach after hearing it again. She'd almost blocked out that terrible sound from the fire, trying to tell herself it wasn't real, but now she knew it wasn't. All of the men had heard it, too. Worse, they were at least worried, if not frightened, themselves.

For all of these men—able, strong men, with the exception maybe of Kent—to be so afraid, to think this guy could win... that was really terrifying. Sawa had thought she'd been scared before, but now she really was. What were they going to do? She had no idea how she could help—even recognizing that laughter, that didn't help any. She couldn't say who it was. She didn't remember any customers who had laughed like that—and she would, it was terrifying—and she hadn't seen anyone watching at the fire or before. 

She hadn't even realized Kokoa was being stalked. She'd just thought her friend was preoccupied, but a stalker? That never entered her mind.

She looked over at Kokoa. That was strange. Had she just pulled away from Orion? When did Kokoa ever do that?

“No. I won't be used as bait,” Kokoa said, shoving Orion away from her. “You can't—I won't let you—you'd have to kill me first.”

Orion stared at her. “Neesan?”

“What is she doing?” Mine said. “She'd never actually—”

“She is not currently seeing Orion,” Kent said. “Though it may help her to keep hearing your voice, Orion. That... does seem to work for Ikkyu.”

Ikki nodded. “I'll just keep talking until Ken comes around again. It may take a while, but it's the safest way I've found. It doesn't even matter what you say most of the time—though I tend to make it outlandish for Ken—”

“Ikkyu,” Kent said, cutting him off, wincing when his sharp tone made Kokoa shudder again. Still, she kept moving toward him, backing away from Orion and putting herself right in Kent's lap, much to his surprise.

Sawa would have laughed if this was something else, but Kokoa wasn't herself, she was terrified, and the fact that she couldn't see Orion, of all people, was just so wrong.

Kent looked down at her with a grimace. “I do not wish to upset you, but in my current state, it is very unwise for you to stay where you are, and if you don't stop putting pressure on my stomach—”

“If I jump, you don't win... No bait...” she said, and Kent's eyes went wide. He grabbed hold of her around the waist, pulling her back before she could fall off the couch. He held her in place as she shuddered.

“I'm sorry,” he told her. “I do not want you injuring yourself again.”

Orion frowned. “Wait, if she jumped... she landed where I found her? She was up higher and... That could have killed her.”

“It may explain the memory loss,” Kent said. He grimaced and eased her to the side. Ikki, who'd stood up when Kent mentioned getting sick to his stomach, finished crossing the room. He held out the crackers to him again. This time, Kent didn't refuse them.

“Ikki,” Kokoa whispered, and he tensed, frowning down at her.

“I would have preferred you had a good dream about me, not a nightmare, dear lady,” Ikki told her, a gentle and sad smile on his face. Kent's expression darkened, like he'd gladly kick his friend.

Kokoa shook her head, looking up at him, her eyes clear again. “He wanted... that fire... I was bait... he was going to kill you there.”

* * *

“Me?” Ikki asked, frowning. They'd actually discussed this at the scene, but he'd dismissed the idea, and their attention quickly focused on Ken. Were they wrong? Could that fire and her abduction really have been about him? He didn't know what to think of that. “A trap for me?”

Kokoa nodded, looking down at her hands. She was herself again, but that didn't make this any better. “I... I wasn't the one who got away. He... he intended to kill all of you, like Kent said. The whole team... he started setting the fires here... and he was going to kill you, one by one... he thought you couldn't find him without Kent and... that fire was meant for you... he said... you couldn't resist a pretty girl... but I wouldn't scream for him... I tried to get away... I don't... after that I'm not sure what happened...”

“You said something about jumping,” Orion told her. “But if you did, from where I think you did... I don't know. You shouldn't have made it...”

“I don't know. I... I remember I noticed he'd burned the rope holding me to the pillar and even though it hurt, I... I tried to get away, to run...”

“You behaved quite bravely under the circumstances,” Waka said as he entered the room, making the other two girls jump. Ikki wasn't sure if Kokoa was too worn out to react or if she was starting to get used to his way of coming and going. “Though you were also lucky. Had this man realized what you truly were to Kent, you would not have survived.”

Kokoa frowned. “What I am to Kent...?”

Ken glared at Waka, his embarrassment not quite hidden by his anger. He folded his arms over his chest. “Should we be arresting you for the death of the superintendent, then?”

Waka smiled. “That is not necessary, though I do believe it shameful for a man his age to soil his bed in such a manner.”

Shin shook his head, fighting a smile. Ukyo seemed a bit uncomfortable being so amused, but Toma just started laughing.

“Nice.”

“Repulsive, actually, but at least I am certain that he was telling the truth when I asked him about burying the report Kent gave him,” Waka said. He stopped to dust off his jacket. “Gatou admitted he'd seen the opportunity for the kind of arrest that would advance his career, so he told Kent to wait on it and bring any further evidence to him. Kent didn't, of course, which just made Gatou angry, but in his typical ineffectual way, he did nothing about it. He wouldn't admit to burying the case, so he never asked me about it.”

“What about the Kyoto end?” Shin asked. “Why didn't he just look into that part himself? He would have been able to backtrack at least part of the work Kent had done even if Kent held most of it back because the man's a moron.”

“Ah. That is the curious part,” Waka said. “It would seem he did, in fact, try to, but he was unable to find even the one case Kent based most of his work on.”

Shin frowned. “What?”

“The shadow behind the puppet,” Ken said, and Ikki looked at him for more, but he gagged. Ikki dumped the decorations out of the bowl on the table and passed it to him, barely in time. Orion winced, backing away from him. Kokoa reached out like she wanted to touch Ken's back but stopped herself.

Waka frowned, and if Ikki wasn't mistaken, that was actual concern on his face. “Has he been like this all morning?”

“No, it didn't last long earlier. He was doing a lot better, but that's the thing about those drugs... the side effects can still hit again later,” Ikki said. “Should we get you down the hall for a while, Ken?”

Ken managed to shake his head. “No. I... it would be a poor idea to attempt moving at present, though... a drink would be... helpful.”

“Orion, would you mind going to the fridge and getting one of those little bottles for me? Not Shin's melon soda. The other ones.”

Orion frowned a little, but he nodded and left. Ikki waited. If Ken was done with the bowl, he'd deal with it, but they never wanted to assume Ken was done too soon.

“I assume Kent still doesn't remember what he told Gatou,” Shin said, and Ken only closed his eyes. Shin turned to Waka. “What all did he tell you? And do we even need to ask if you've already thought of Taniguchi and possibly other criminals being the victims of the other fires?”

Waka smiled slightly. “You've been busy in my absence.”

“No, we've been standing around talking,” Shin said, still frustrated. “Toma found us a recording of this sicko's laughter and it set her off again, which is when you got back. We still don't know who's behind any of this. It might help to know what Kent actually told Gatou.”

Waka looked at Kent. “You still have no memory of meeting with him?”

Ken shook his head. “No. I... That's still gone. I... Another memory I had... I lost two days to the concussion, but I can't say if that was when I went to see Gatou or not. It... was before you returned, but I don't know when, nor the specifics of the case except... It occurs to me that if it was DNA alone that he had left behind as evidence... I would already have tested that and matched it, having identified the killer. As such... I would not have gone to Gatou at all but sent the others to arrest him.”

“Yes, that is true.” Waka frowned. “That makes it all the more curious that he is determined to get back some piece of physical evidence.” 

“Right,” Ikki said, knowing Waka was right. “If there was no DNA, how would it tie to him so much that he'd need to torture and kill to get it back?”

“An heirloom?” Ukyo asked, frowning. “If it had a deep connection to his family, not only could it reveal who he was but he might well want it back for sentiment alone. I know there is much I regret losing of my own family and past.”

“Why wait until Kent had the case to go after it?” Shin asked. “That doesn't make any sense.”

“Unless he didn't know it survived the fire until Ken got the evidence,” Ikki said, thinking aloud. “If it was his knife, he'd have to leave it behind to pull off the murder-suicide, but then why would he use his own knife for that? That would point to it not being a murder-suicide at all.”

“You may be taking the idea of an heirloom too far,” Ken said. “Not every family has samurai swords or other weapons that pass from one generation to the next.”

“No, but I'm sure Waka has one,” Toma said, and Waka eyed him. He looked away, coughing. “Oh, about that thing Kent muttered before—”

“Here you go, Kent,” Orion said, carrying the drink over to him. “Are you feeling any better?”

Ken nodded. “It seems to have passed for now. Sorry, Ikkyu.”

Ikki shook his head. He and Ken were well past keeping track of debts, and he knew that Ken had done stuff like this for him before, even before they were really friends, back when he spent most of his time drunk when he wasn't filming—and even when he was—so they were probably even.

“I'm going to get rid of this,” Ikki said. “Wait. What about a lighter? If it was inscribed, that might could have been it. And it might have been overlooked by someone else. I mean, you had Kokoa to ask if her father smoked, but I'm betting he didn't.”

She shook her head. “No. He didn't.”

“I don't know,” Ken repeated, putting a hand to his head in frustration. “I can't just _force_ the memories back, and you of all people know I've tried.”

“Yeah, I do.”

* * *

_“How does it feel to be home?”_

_“I prefer it over the hospital,” Kent answered, not looking at Shirai. He did not need to see her face to know that the therapist disapproved of his answer, valid though it may be. What she wanted to hear was the sort of thing he would never tell her._

_He was not going to say he checked the door a hundred times to make sure it was locked and the alarm was set. He would not admit that even after checking the door he'd gone down, barricaded himself in the lab, going so far as to lock himself in the closet, and still did not feel safe. He did not want to admit that it felt like someone was watching the house, waiting for him to come out of it._

_“You know that's not what I'm asking,” Shirai said. “I want to know how you feel.”_

_“Stating that I feel relieved not to be in the hospital is not a lie,” Kent said, now turning back to her. “I answered your question. That is how I felt.”_

_She sighed. “Did you have any nightmares?”_

_He was not certain who had told this annoying woman about them, but had he known she'd been informed of them, he would not have agreed to see her, not even under Waka's orders. “No.”_

_“Did you sleep?”_

_Kent looked away again. He hadn't. He'd closed his eyes for a moment, jerked awake, and bumped into a shelf, giving himself a bruise he could feel right now. “For a while. Any other pointless questions you require me to answer?”_

_“I am not your enemy. You do know this, don't you?”_

_“If you were, Waka would not insist upon me seeing you,” Kent told her. If she had not been chosen by Waka, though, he would not have been willing to speak to her at all. “And I understand the point of these sessions is to make it so that I can return to active duty. However, I do not see any improvement nor do your methods seem particularly impressive. Futile seems more appropriate a word.”_

_“I can only help you as much as you are willing to let me.”_

_Kent folded his arms over his chest. He felt his scars and unfolded his arms with a grimace. The burns made him ill, and not because of the medication. He'd gone off it as soon as he was out of the watchful eyes of the doctors, hating the way it made him feel. He didn't care if that was supposed to help him sleep or manage his pain. It was not worth the side effects._

_“Are you in pain?”_

_“No. yes. I... The walk from the car to your office was more strenuous than I had thought it would be, and my leg aches.”_

_“You didn't take your medication.”_

_“It would seem the doctors are incapable of finding a level of pain management that does not render me useless—be it unconscious or otherwise incapacitated, though I think I prefer being unconscious over being unable to stop vomiting long after I have expelled all the food in my stomach.”_

_“You are still healing. No one expects you to be doing more than your body can tolerate.”_

_“I have a much higher tolerance for pain than I knew,” Kent told her, though his own words sickened him. Something clawed at the back of his mind, that same unsettling feeling that had plagued him since he woke up confused in the hospital, with no memory of anything after going back into the house for his mother. Most of before that was missing, too, and he found himself locked in an endless cycle of frustration, unable to get back a clear picture of any of that day or even, he believed, the day before, and that nagged at him. He'd failed his parents so badly, bringing their death to them, and he had done nothing to set against the men who'd taken their lives._

_Ikkyu said they had finally arrested the last of the yakuza they could find. A few had scattered to other families, and others were missing, presumed dead, but that was no comfort to Kent, who had not even seen so much as one trace evidence test from the case._

_His parents were dead, and he hadn't been at their funeral. He hadn't even been to see their graves. Logically, he knew that did not matter. They were long gone from their physical bodies, and there was nothing to visit there._

_“Does that include emotional pain?”_

_He snorted. “Don't be ridiculous. Emotions are... There is no reason to feel pain from them. They are not... They are abstract concepts not capable of causing pain.”_

_“So you don't believe that emotional problems can manifest themselves as physical pain or other conditions?”_

_“If you are speaking of conversion disorder, I am familiar with the concept, but if you are going to suggest that is happening to me now, I must refute that. My leg bone was shattered and had to be rebuilt—twice—and currently has metal supporting it as it grows back together. This is not a painless process. The ache there is not a manifestation of emotional distress.”_

_“Would you say your nightmares are also not a sign of emotional distress?”_

_“Dreams are not something I have researched to any extent as they seemed frivolous to dwell upon, but if you must know... they may well be a part of what is missing from that night. I do not know for certain, but the sensation that lingers after them suggests that to be the case. If that is true, and it is something I should remember, I see no reason why I do not simply remember it. If it is a memory, that is. It's also very possible that I did experience lasting brain damage that will never allow me to recall more from that night.”_

_“Have you done any research into EMDR?”_

_“Eye movement desensitization and reprogramming? I have heard of it being used to treat post-traumatic stress, but the sample study sizes were small and not necessarily indicative of true results,” Kent said. “I didn't know you were trained in that particular form of therapy. Is that why Waka sent me here?”_

_“I can't answer for Waka. You can always ask him if you like.”_

_Kent shrugged. “I might. Thus far my experiences with you have convinced me that you are far from the expert you were touted to be, and I've known waitresses who can argue your emotional points with greater success than you have.”_

_Shirai gave him a slight smile. “Well, I'm glad at least someone can win that argument against you. I'd almost be tempted to ask for her help in this matter.”_

_“You needn't bother. I can tell you what her answer would be,” Kent said, though acknowledging those words still caused him some difficulty. Not pain, he refused to call it that and give Shirai a victory, but they... stung, bitter as they were. “She'd refuse. She hates me.”_

_“I see. Out of curiosity, how do you think she'd—”_

_“As she told me I was a heartless monster, perhaps she'd find this situation ironic, but I would rather not dwell on what she thinks. You needn't gape at me. I am used to being disliked. I am blunt and generally more intelligent than most of the people I converse with, which means I come off as pretentious and insensitive. I have never really cared about that. I do not need people to like me.” He shifted in his seat. “I suppose in retrospect this should have been obvious. If I anger so many simply by my usual manner... it is not so unlikely that I'd provoke one to murder, is it?”_

* * *

“I think we need to go back to that shadow behind the puppet thing you said before,” Toma began, looking at Kent. He had a feeling he knew what Kent was getting at, and it probably was important, since Kent had said it twice, once last night and again right now.

“That's true,” Shin said. “What the hell does that mean, anyway? That better not be another stupid reference.”

Kent shook his head. “Gatou was the obvious suspect after the issue of reporting it to someone higher in authority was raised, but it actually never fit.”

“Because Gatou's an idiot.”

“That, and this man prides himself on going without notice. Gatou is a very proud man who hid the case for his own glory,” Kent said. “Had I not been injured and lost my ability to recall these events, that would not have mattered. I would simply have turned over everything I had to Waka instead.”

Shin nodded. “Which leaves us with you doing something weird like putting a clue in a math puzzle for Ikki.”

Kent shook his head. “I don't know what I did. You should stop focusing so much on that.”

Shin glared at him. “Look, I know you didn't mean to forget, and no one can really blame you for that, but that doesn't change the facts. We need that evidence. Whatever it was made him come after you, kill your family, and then decide he was going to kill all of us, too. It's pretty damned important.”

“It is not the only factor to consider, which if you were calmer you would realize. I understand you dislike feeling confined, but you must have some patience,” Waka told him. “Think, Shin. If Gatou didn't lose the file from Kyoto, who did?”

Shin frowned, looking at Kent, who shook his head.

“No, I would not have done that. It would have corrupted the chain of evidence and impaired prosecution. Also, we assume I saw some sort of threat before I hid the evidence—I'd have wanted the case to remain on record for someone else to retrace my steps in case something happened.”

“Right.”

“Are you thinking this was someone above Gatou in our office?” Ukyo asked. “Or someone in Kyoto?”

“Would it be that same man you had a disagreement with before?” Kokoa asked. “You... There was something about his son being supposed to get your job or something like that?”

“Ridiculous,” Waka said. “That idiot was even more useless than Ooba, and he did not deserve management of a lab. He could barely perform the duties of a custodian and had no training in forensics.”

Orion frowned, not the only one to do so. “So... why did he think he could have Kent's job?”

“Because his father ran the lab in Kyoto and assumed his son could do the same here,” Ikki answered. “It was just nepotism, pure and simple. And we proved it with a beautiful piece of art from Ukyo over there.”

Ukyo flushed. “I would hardly call that art.”

“It's framed in Waka's office. I think that makes it art,” Toma said, even if he'd been the one to put it up. Waka had never taken it down, and if he didn't like it, he would have thrown it away.

Shin shook his head. “Can we get back to whatever it is you two aren't saying? We're wasting time, and maybe the rest of us should know, but you holding it back is just—”

“You have a shadow and you have a puppet,” Waka said. “Someone standing behind the puppet, playing him for the fool.”

Before Shin could get angry again, Toma cleared his throat. “I think I can help with that. I mean, this might be nothing, but I didn't just listen to one message when I was up last night. I actually put it through a lot of vocal filters, and yes, you can make someone's voice sound like just about anyone or anything these days, but...”

He pushed play again, repeating the message with the filters on, watching the others react. Sawa and Mine just looked confused, not recognizing the voice at all, though he wasn't surprised by that. He doubted they would have noticed the guy even if he had gone into the cafe. Kokoa frowned a bit, like she was trying to place it and couldn't—Toma figured she might have heard the guy's non-manical side, too, but she might not remember it. Neither Waka or Kent reacted, but then they'd already figured it out and were expecting it. Ukyo seemed a bit confused, frowning as if he couldn't believe what he heard. Toma wasn't sure who was going to break something first—Ikki or Shin.

“His assistant,” Shin said. “His damned assistant.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of the team's history with this Gatou's assistants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to show some of the antagonism between the team and Gatou and his assistant. 
> 
> It was a nice way to look at some of their moments working together and becoming more of a team, though that could take novels to do, too.
> 
> I probably should have just made it an original novel and not tried to use these characters for it, but that's hindsight for me.

* * *

_“Someone want to tell me what the hell we're doing here?” Shin demanded, tempted to give Toma's chair another kick. He knew what Toma would say—something about being patient and waiting, but he didn't want to wait any longer._

_“Are you sure you don't want any refreshments?” Hoshino asked, hovering by the tea service like he was begging someone to take him up on it. How did he even get hired? He didn't belong in a police station, that was for damned sure._

_“We are all more than capable of serving ourselves,” the head of the forensics lab said, sounding just as annoyed as Shin was. “You need not hover about or pretend that your purpose is something other than eavesdropping. You work for Gatou, but Gatou did not call this meeting. Waka did, therefore you have no business being here. Your thinly veiled artifice is both pathetic and insulting. I suggest you leave.”_

_“I was asked to provide refreshments,” the other man insisted stubbornly. “I may be Gatou's assistant, but Waka works for Gatou, and therefore I can be of assistance to him as well.”_

_Shin snorted. “You're not of assistance to anyone.”_

_“Shin,” Toma said in warning, so Shin did kick his chair._

_“It is almost amusing that you think a man like Waka would have any use for you at all,” the lab guy went on, arms folded over his chest. “He is not the sort to tolerate fools, nor does he let others do much work for him.”_

_“I have to agree with Ken,” Ikki said, leaning back in his chair. “Waka's reputation is rather legendary, and you, toady little assistant, ruin that image completely. Not that Waka cares about image, but I know a thing or two about it, and I know I'd never let myself be seen with you.”_

_“Spoken like a true poster boy,” Toma said, spinning his chair a little like he didn't see the death glare Ikki sent his way._

_“Kent is right. I have no use for you at all,” Waka said, and Shin almost jumped out of his chair. Toma bumped into the table and swore. Ikki sat up straight in his seat. Kent just folded his arms over his chest. “Get out of my conference room. Now.”_

_“I assume there is a good reason you've called us all here,” Kent said. “I'd like it if you could be quick about explaining. I'm behind on several tests in the lab, and since the superintendent so thoughtfully decided to add a ridiculous amount of tasks that do not belong in a forensics lab to my team, we are already working extended hours. Hoshino, when you go back to him, kindly inform him that his staff intends to quit unless he reassigns those tasks back to their actual department and stops trying to solve his budget issues in my lab.”_

_Ikki snorted. “I can tell you where all his money's going, and it is not to the lab. It's not even to anything work related. Would you like me to show you all the invoices? Because I have them, and I can prove it.”_

_“What?” the assistant asked, gaping at him. “You can't possibly—”_

_“I was bored,” Ikki said, “and Ken was really grumpy over this extra workload, so I found out where the money went. It's what I do.”_

_“Except I'm getting the feeling the superintendent didn't redirect it,” Toma said. “What about you, Shin? You think it was someone else?”_

_“Judging from the way he's sweating over there, it's him,” Shin agreed. He heard a camera snap and frowned, looking behind him._

_“Oh, sorry,” the photographer said with a sheepish smile. “It just... it was such a perfect moment. You built on what each other did, and he was completely surprised and the guilt showed, and it just seemed like a moment to capture on film.”_

_“Agreed,” Waka said. “I'd say this task force already works well together.”_

_Shin frowned. “What? Since when are we—”_

_“Since I called you here,” Waka answered with a thin smile. “Though misdirection of department funds wasn't exactly the case I had in mind for you.”_

_“Are we arresting him or just letting him piss his pants over there?” Toma asked, fighting a smile as he did._

_“Ikkyu—”_

_“Yeah, well... exactly how much time do you think he'd get for supplementing the cafeteria fund?” Ikki asked, and Shin just stared at him. “I know, I said it wasn't work-related, and technically it isn't. Still, it's within the department, so he might be able to argue he was just bending some red tape, not committing any kind of crime.”_

_“Are you kidding?” Shin demanded. “The food there is still inedible, so if he was giving them money for it—”_

_“I don't even want to think about what it was like before that,” Toma said with a wince. “You'd know, though, Kent. You've been here longer than any of us besides Waka.”_

_Kent grimaced. “It was known in the past for its frequent ability to put even the sturdiest of policeman into the hospital.”_

_“Ken only survived because he barely remembers to eat,” Ikki said, shaking his head. “He should be glad that I started working here so he gets a decent meal at least once a day.”_

_Waka turned to Gatou's assistant. “You know exactly where to admit to your actions. Go. Do so now, and if I have to find you later—”_

_Hoshino took off running, and Toma started laughing. Shin rolled his eyes. This was ridiculous. So was the idea of a task force._

* * *

_“Do you think they make them so they ooze out from under rocks or what?” Toma asked, eying the new assistant to superintendent Gatou. “How did Gatou manage to find another one as bad as the last one? Or does he train them to be that slimy?”_

_“I think he must have been born that way,” Ikki said. “He could only have gotten worse as he got older, but there's no way he wasn't like that before he started working for Gatou. That's the only way he could have gotten hired.”_

_“I don't know, but something about that guy...” Shin frowned, shaking his head. “I don't like him.”_

_“He is perhaps even more irritating than the last,” Kent said, folding his arms over his chest. “His manner may seem as subservient, but it is not. There is a clear scorn and mockery for Gatou in all he says and does.”_

_“You picked up on that, too?” Toma asked, looking over at Kent like he might just be impressed. “Why is he even bothering if he can't stand Gatou?”_

_“Some people fail the entrance exams,” Kent observed. “Perhaps this is his only way of working for the department.”_

_“Then he's an idiot as well as a jerk,” Shin said. “Did I really hear Gatou call him 'Ukyo' earlier?”_

_Ukyo grimaced. He truly wished that he did not share the same name as the man that they all disliked so much. “I would much rather he be known as Watanbe.”_

_“Good Ukyo, bad Ukyo,” Toma said, pointing to Ukyo first and then the other man. “Simple enough.”_

_“Um, thanks, I think,” Ukyo said, still bothered by the closeness of their names, especially as Gatou seemed to insist on dismissing formality and calling Watanbe by his given name._

_“He really is more of a pain than the last one,” Shin said. “It's not like we don't know he's waiting for us to move. I am so sick of catching him trying to listen to our conversations. I want to punch him. Why hasn't Waka gotten him fired yet?”_

_“Don't you mean why Waka hasn't quietly disposed of him somewhere?” Ikki asked. “You know him best, Ken. There any truth to those rumors?”_

_“I have never seen any need to ask,” Kent said, taking out a tablet and making some adjustments on it. “As to Shin's question, I believe it is because he's been a valuable source of misinformation so far. As we are all—or nearly all—capable of detecting his presence and adapting our conversation accordingly, we have been able to frustrate Gatou considerably.”_

_“That's true,” Ikki said. “How many times have we made Gatou look like an idiot now?”_

_Shin grunted. “I suppose he's useful for that, but I still don't like him.”_

_“None of us do,” Toma agreed, shaking his head as Watanbe bowed several times to Gatou, practically scraping the floor._

_“I thought the point of our meeting was to go over something from the case we've all been assigned,” Kent went on, “not to obsess over one man's excessively obsequious manner.”_

_“What did you just say?” Shin asked. “Do you even know how to talk like a normal person?”_

_“I could ask you the same thing as I do not believe hostility is a part of every day conversation for most people.”_

_“No, that's just Shin,” Toma agreed with a laugh. “Oh, lighten up, little brother. Kent's got a point. Most of us actually know how to smile.”_

_“Shut up, Toma.”_

_“Also, your week is nearly up, Ikkyu. Would you like to admit defeat now?”_

_“I haven't been defeated,” Ikki protested. “We've all been working overtime, remember? I still have eight hours. And I won't even need them.”_

_“Seriously? Have you been working on that math puzzle Kent gave you and not the case? Damn it, Ikki. You are such a—”_

_“And behold,” Ikki said, holding up a paper that looked like gibberish to Ukyo. “Our man is keeping a lady on the side.”_

_“You would pick up on that,” Shin muttered. “So what?”_

_“He didn't mention it, even when we were pushing hard for his alibi,” Toma said, frowning. “We had him alone, it wasn't like he had to hide it from the wife, even if Shin would have told her out of spite.”_

_Shin shrugged. “She'd deserve to know her husband's a dick.”_

_“I think the main value in Ikkyu's discovery is not the woman in question but rather the location of this undisclosed asset,” Kent said, still looking at his tablet. “The apartment is in the same building as his own, isn't it?”_

_Ikki smiled. “Exactly, Ken. This guy is pretty bold, keeping his mistress and his wife in the same place, but then again, it worked in his favor because almost everyone assumed it was some kind of misprint when they saw the second apartment he keeps paying for.”_

_“That_ is _bold.”_

_Shin shook his head. “Don't start admiring him now. He's still a murder suspect.”_

_“I'm not admiring him, but I think I know where our missing evidence is,” Toma said, smiling. “Not bad, Ikki. I'll put in for the warrant now.”_

_“Sorry, Ken,” Ikki said, though he really didn't sound sorry at all. “Looks like you'll have a lot to do tonight.”_

_“If you believe that the deadline will be forgotten because I am busy, you are mistaken. I have already finished this week's schedule and rotated in some work on older cases to reduce the backlog, Currently, the efficiency of the lab is up four percent, and I see no reason why I can't check your answer in eight hours—if you even have one by then.”_

_“Oh, I'll have one.”_

_Shin shook his head. “Don't even start. We need to go. It's not like Toma and I are searching this place by ourselves.”_

_“No, it looks like you've picked up a slimy trail,” Ikki said. Shin looked back at Gatou's assistant, who had started moving toward them._

_“Maybe we should trip him,” Toma said, looking up from his phone with a grimace._

_“There is no need,” Kent said. “Given his usual speed and how recently this floor was cleaned, I predict he will fall within the next fifteen seconds.”_

_“Now you're just showing off,” Ikki said, but before he'd finished speaking, the man had slipped, falling on his face on the floor, spreading laughter through the rest of the department._

_“I swear, he does this stuff on purpose,” Shin muttered. “Why are you still standing there?”_

_Kent looked up from his tablet. “I believe he meant you, Ukyo. Your photographs of the apartment will be needed.”_

_Ukyo flushed, rising. He was still not used to working with a team, and this team was quite unique._

_“I meant both of you.”_

_“Oh. I see. You expect me to supervise the collection of evidence in person? Very well,” Kent said as he put away his tablet. Shin shook his head at both of them, leaving them behind to catch up with Toma and Ikki._

_Ukyo found the silence a bit intimidating. He knew he wasn't as smart as Kent, and while Shin was definitely the grumpiest in their group, Kent didn't seem to be much happier than he was that they were all working together._

_“You do not have a hotel reservation again?”_

_Ukyo frowned. How did Kent know about that? He'd been unable to find anywhere all day, despite checking several times. It seemed almost everything local was booked. “What?”_

_“You have been paying more attention to your phone than usual and appear visibly stressed. While others might believe this has something to do with your art, that seems unlikely. You have not yet moved from Kyoto, and it is logical you would need a place to stay while you are here. You lacking a place to stay overnight seemed like a reasonable reason for your stress.”_

_“Oh.”_

_“If that is your concern, I have an excess of space, and you may use some of it while you are here.”_

_“What?” Ukyo couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Kent had invited him to his home? No, that would never happen. “Did you just say I could... stay with you? I couldn't impose like that.”_

_“I will likely not be home, and even if I am, there is sufficient space to where we would not have to interact at all for the duration of your stay,” Kent said, shrugging. “It is a logical solution, but you need not take me up on it if you do not want. I have no interest in pushing the matter further.”_

_No, Kent wouldn't, but Ukyo was still a bit in shock over the offer._

_“You should move faster. Shin's impatience now will make driving with him very unpleasant.”_

_Ukyo nodded, but he couldn't help the smile as he hurried after the others._

* * *

_“The exhaustion in this room is discouraging,” Waka said, his eyes focused on the usually outspoken ones. Shin grunted, not even summoning up some kind of remark. Toma lifted his head for a moment and seemed to decide he was willing to risk Waka's ire, lowering it down onto his arms again. Ukyo, Kent strongly suspected, was already asleep, and next to him, Ikkyu kept yawning with obnoxious frequency._

_“I would think it matters little how exhausted we are so long as the desired result has been achieved. The arrest was made, and a conviction should happen, according to my mother,” Kent said, adjusting his glasses again._

_“Can't believe that's your mom,” Toma mumbled from his arms. “Seems weird you have parents, period, weren't spawned as a machine, but... my law professor?”_

_Kent frowned. “Why should my mother be any less capable of instruction than my father? True, she mostly works instead of teaching, but she has always said there is value in passing on what we know to others.”_

_“He's still having trouble believing you're human,” Ikkyu said. “As am I right now. How are you even half-awake? We've all been working for days straight.”_

_“I am used to working many long hours to complete my research. This is nothing,” Kent said, though he was admittedly fatigued. He had much more he should do before returning home, though._

_“That's it. We're getting you drunk.”_

_“No.”_

_Kent heard laughter from somewhere, though it was difficult to tell if it was Toma or not, muffled as it was. The door opened, banging against the wall, and even Ukyo's head jerked up at the noise. Waka frowned at the intrusion. The man in the door gave them all a deep bow. Shin grunted, and Toma groaned, putting his head back down. Ukyo did not even smile before doing the same._

_Waka glared at him. “What is it now?”_

_“Superintendent Gatou wanted me to remind all of you to be in attendance tonight at the awards ceremony.”_

_“Seriously?” Shin demanded. “Who the hell cares about an awards ceremony? We just got done hunting down a creep who was preying on kids, and you want us to dress up like idiots in suits and put on happy faces for pictures while other people get awards? Screw that.”_

_“As a photographer, I should disagree,” Ukyo said, “but after that man... I am ashamed to call myself one.”_

_“What you do is different,” Toma told him. “Don't compare yourself to that creep. Ever. Damn, I need a drink.”_

_Watanbe frowned, turning to Waka. “You did not tell them that they were getting awards tonight?”_

_“We need no such honor, and truthfully, I do not see that we deserve it. We did nothing unusual or outside our given roles. We performed our duties as we should, nothing more or less,” Kent said. “Honors, now, after such a case... seem in poor taste, even to me.”_

_“Though I believe my team has done well and deserves whatever praise and awards they are given, I do not think a public ceremony is necessary,” Waka said. “Nor would any of them want one.”_

_Vague noises of assent came from around the table. Kent nodded as well, having no desire to participate in any kind of ceremony. He hated such functions, they were only nuisances, and they brought with them unpleasant reminders of the failed presentation that had led to his actual employment here._

_“If there are any future awards to be given, they should be done in a private ceremony,” Waka said, moving to shut Watanbe out of the room. “Now go.”_

_“Private ceremony might not be so bad,” Toma said. “I think even Shin can agree to that.”_

_Shin just grunted._

_“And I know just where to have it,” Ikkyu announced, clapping his hands together gleefully, never a good sign, especially not when he was sober. That action was far more common when he was drunk, often with worse consequences, but it was not good at any time. “Come on. Party at Ken's house.”_

_“What?” Kent demanded, shaking his head. “No. Absolutely not. I do not want anyone in my home—”_

_“Oh. Should I leave, then?” Ukyo asked, suddenly worried. “If I am an inconvenience—”_

_Kent grimaced. “No. That's not it. You are staying because it is logical while you are here, since you have reasons why your main residence is still in Kyoto, and I do not need the room you are in—”_

_“You don't need more than two of the floors in your house,” Ikkyu said, and Toma frowned. Shin also seemed a bit confused. “You have to see the place to believe it.”_

_“Whatever,” Shin said. “We're so not having any kind of ceremony.”_

_“I don't know,” Toma said. “I could use a drink, at least, if I don't pass out first.”_

_“Ah, that's the beauty of going to Ken's place. He's got enough spare rooms that even if none of us lasted more than a drink, we wouldn't have to share,” Ikkyu said, and Kent glared at him. “I'm really not kidding. Ken's house is bigger than mine.”_

_“Even if that is true, Ikkyu, you have no right to invite others to my home—”_

_“I agree,” Waka said. “Kent's house is an ideal location.”_

_“What? No. I said no. I know I was not being unclear. I am not hosting any sort of party of any kind, nor am I—”_

_“Too late,” Ikkyu said with a grin. “Waka has spoken.”_

* * *

_“Easy, Ken,” Ikki said, guiding him over to the chair at the head of the conference room. He pushed him down in the seat, feeling a bit guilty as he did. “Just stay put for a minute, okay? I'll drive you home in a bit.”_

_Ken blinked, looking up at Ikki with almost no comprehension. “I forgot something important. I need to go. I have to... there is something I need to attend to, and I should go.”_

_“In a minute,” Ikki said, hoping Ken wouldn't try to move again. He'd fall if he did, since his balance seemed completely shot at the moment. The doctor said a probable concussion, but Ikki swore it had to be one. Ken was not acting like himself, and while this was another case that had taken its toll on them—Shin and Toma looked pretty ragged, and Ukyo had actually cried again—he'd been calm at the scene, through the arrest, and in the interview, right up until that creep turned on him._

_“He doesn't look good,” Shin said. “Where is that idiot? I'm going to—”_

_“Think Waka beat you to it,” Toma said. He sat down and sighed. “Unbelievable. Who the hell forgets to restrain a suspect?”_

_Ikki shook his head. He didn't know. He thought that was basic, trained into all officers early. Not that he'd come into this job the normal way, but he assumed others got that training. How someone could ignore that—Ken could have died in there. That man certainly did his best to kill him. If he hadn't been used to kids who couldn't fight back, he might even have done it._

_“You're not allowed to die, by the way,” he told Ken, who frowned slightly._

_“That is inevitable as this species is made to live and die, but I suppose we are also almost all illogical in trying to postpone life and avoid death,” Ken said. He put a hand to his head and grimaced. “Did you trick me into drinking alcohol again? I feel... strange.”_

_“Concussion.”_

_Ken nodded. “Oh. I see.”_

_The door opened, and Gatou's assistant came in, carrying an arm full of paperwork. Shin shook his head, and Toma groaned. Ikki knew they had a lot of it to do after this one, but they were so taking Ken back home, the others could drink, and they'd make sure he didn't have any lasting damage from that knock to the head._

_“You forgot to sign and file this forms,” Watanbe said, placing them in front of Ken. “They need to be dealt with immediately.”_

_“Back off,” Shin said, and Ikki almost smiled to hear him defending Kent. “The paperwork is going to have to wait.”_

_Toma nodded. “He took a bad hit in that interview room. He's not doing paperwork right now.”_

_Ken leaned forward, looking over the first sheet. He picked it up, crumpled it up, and went to the next page. Gatou's assistant stared at him in disbelief. Ken did the same, over and over, until he was halfway through the papers. Ikki was too amused to stop him, even if he should. Shin and Toma were both smiling again, and Ukyo was back at it with the camera._

_“I feel a very childish urge to throw this at you,” Ken informed Watanbe, paper wad in hand. “I know for a fact that I filed the first twenty pages of this two weeks ago.”_

_“There's nothing on record,” Watanbe insisted. “Not one of them.”_

_Kent glared at him. “I have never fallen behind on my paperwork, and I would not have started while Waka was gone. If these forms are missing, it is because of a clerical error, and I suggest you check the physical back up, because they will all be filed properly there. It's too soon for them to have been shredded, so they will be there. You seem to have been too lazy to check.”_

_Watanbe bristled. “It was not laziness. It took work to print them out, after all.”_

_“Yes, and you wasted your time,” Ken said. “Furthermore, this? It does not fall under Waka's purview at all. If you thought you could get me to sign off in his place because I might not know better or because I am currently...”_

_“Currently...?”_

_“Injured,” Ikki finished for Ken. “He's got a damned concussion. Go away already.”_

_“There's still valid paperwork in there,” Watanbe insisted. “I do need those forms signed.”_

_Ken threw a paper wad at him. Watanbe stared at it while everyone else snickered. Ikki knew he shouldn't. That was not Ken, but it_ was _funny._

_“No. While we have always been aware that nearly everything that comes out of your mouth will be a lie, none of those papers are necessary. I realize this is your last opportunity to attempt this as Waka has returned, but he would never be asked to sign this, nor would I do it in his stead. If this is an attempt to get either of us in trouble, it failed, and you should probably leave the room now.”_

_Watanbe sputtered. “I...”_

_“Were just leaving, I assume?” Waka asked, coming over to the table and examining the paperwork. “My, how interesting. You thought you could trick Kent into signing this in his condition, did you? And what did Gatou intend to do with this? If he seeks to disband this team, he will answer to me first.”_

_“How would he have done that with a bit of paperwork?” Toma asked, rising to come look at it himself. “Some stupid budget thing?”_

_“Can't be. Our budget is exactly what it should be,” Ikki said, frowning. He wanted to see it for himself. “Having the five of us doing what we do cuts down on a lot of work from other departments and the most we cost is... what everyone costs... time and forensics tests. Those add up, but Ken's never wrong about which ones he has us do.”_

_“The hell? This policy is complete crap. This would completely destroy Kent's reputation as a researcher,” Toma said, glaring at Watanbe. “You are lucky all he did was throw a paper at you. I'd have punched you myself.”_

_“I think that goes for almost any of us,” Ukyo said. He faced the other man, frowning. “Why would you do such a thing? Is Gatou really such a man?”_

_“I don't know what you mean,” Watanbe said. “All of that paperwork is... it was supposed to be filed. I didn't do anything wrong.”_

_“Get out,” Waka said, glaring at him. “My patience with you has ended.”_

_Watanbe nodded, forcing a stiff bow before he left the room, practically tripping himself as his fear mixed with a refusal to run. Shin smiled, satisfied._

_“Good riddance, Bad Ukyo.”_

_“Did you have to call him that?” Ukyo asked, frowning. “You know he keeps asking me about pictures, how to take the right kind and lenses and—it feels almost like... he wants to take over for me or something.”_

_“Impossible,” Waka said. “Not only is he incompetent, he has tried my patience far too many times and will be lucky to last the week.”_

_Toma shuddered. “Boss, I realize we're all really on edge and it would be nice and all to get rid of the slime, but... you really sound like you'd kill him right now.”_

_“Kent will be presenting most of our evidence against the yakuza boss. He's considered an expert, but if that paper had gotten past him today, that and all his other cases would have been damaged.”_

_“Right,” Toma winced. “Do we need to see if he's got ties to these yakuza or do we think this is just another stupid move by Gatou?”_

_“The incompetence and lack of foresight suggests it is Gatou, though I think you have more pressing concerns at the moment.”_

_With a horrible sinking feeling, Ikki whirled behind him, seeing an empty chair. “Damn it, Ken. Where the hell did you go?”_

_“You could have said something,” Shin said. “You knew he left.”_

_Waka's look almost made Shin back down. “He shouldn't have made it to the door in his current state. I underestimated his stubbornness.”_

_“I'll go check the lab.”_

* * *

_“Damn, Ikki, you been here all night?” Toma asked, taking in his ragged appearance. Ikki never looked like this, not even after a fight. Somehow he always seemed to come out of them unscathed, his suit a little wrinkled but not much worse for wear, like he had only done one for his television show, and it just had to look real. Oh, sure, a few hairs would be out of place, but not anything major._

_This time, though, Ikki's suit was a mess, torn and dirty, even a bit bloody, and his hair more black than silver._

_Ikki managed a short nod, not saying anything._

_“Ukyo's still out of town. I don't know if he's heard yet,” Toma said. “We couldn't get here any sooner ourselves. Though I think that was the closest I've seen Shin come to blowing his cover when it came on the news.”_

_“Shut up, Toma,” Shin said, though it lacked his usual spirit. “How bad is it?”_

_“He wasn't breathing when they pulled him out,” Ikki said, and Toma flinched. “One leg was completely crushed in the rubble, and they're saying... some of the burns might even be fourth degree, nothing less than third. Smoke inhalation, compromised lungs... possible brain damage... If he makes it... not sure if... said maybe... medical coma...”_

_“You haven't seen him?”_

_“No.” Ikki closed his eyes. “The burns... he'll be isolated... too much risk... of infection...”_

_Toma shook his head. He didn't want to believe this. Kent was... It was hard to imagine something like this happening to him. Not as impossible as it would be if it was Waka, but Kent... he was in the lab and at a distance and... untouchable in his own way. “His parents?”_

_“Dead,” Ikki choked out with a shudder. He put his hands over his face, shaking. Shin swore. Toma thought he might punch something. He wanted to do it himself. “He... tried to save his mom... that's what it looked like... like he shielded her, but... she died anyway and he... he was... That can't be Ken. He was... It's not him. Not them. Can't be them...”_

_“Ikki,” Toma said, sitting down next to him. He didn't know what these doctors were thinking. Ikki himself was in shock, even if he'd only just seen it. He'd lost most of his family tonight, could still lose his best friend, a man he saw as a brother, and those idiots had left him alone out here._

_“Damn it, I was supposed to be there... If I'd been there...”_

_“You'd be dead, too,” Shin said. “This is the yakuza, isn't it?”_

_“Has to be,” Toma said, now angry with himself. With all of them. They knew Kent was getting threats. They'd all heard them—laughed over some of them—and now Kent's parents were dead and he might not make it._

_“The hell with the other case,” Shin said, walking toward the door. He stopped as Waka came in, blocking his path. “Don't tell me to sit around here and wait. I'm not doing it. We're going after these bastards.”_

_“Ikki,” Waka said, and Ikki lifted his head, looking at him. “Toma, take him home.”_

_Toma nodded. “Come on, Ikki. We'll get you cleaned up, okay?”_

_Ikki shook his head. “No. I... I'm not going. I can't—Ken could die, and I am not going to sit around my house and do nothing. I won't go. If I go, and he... I won't forgive myself.”_

_Waka nodded as if he'd expected that response, maybe even wanted it. Ikki had pulled himself together some, and that was something. He turned to Shin, folding his arms behind his back. “Do you have any proof these men were involved?”_

_“Are you kidding me?”_

_“I have no interest in letting anyone who harmed one of mine go free,” Waka said. “I would prefer to kill them with my bare hands, but I am settling for an arrest. I want convictions.”_

_Shin glared at him. “Like we'd be stupid enough to jeopardize that.”_

_“I don't know, Shin. I think we're all pretty angry right now. Who knows what we'll do if these jerks start bragging about it?”_

_Shin grunted. “They'd deserve it.”_

_“Agreed,” Waka said. “I have nothing against a bit of damage on the way in—provided we still get the results we need.”_

_“I didn't just hear you tell your men to use force during an arrest, did I?”_

_Toma balled a fist. The hell was the superintendent doing here? Him and his toady little assistant. Neither of them needed to be here. They damn well better not be here to gloat about what happened to Kent._

_“You just don't understand the boss' sense of humor,” Toma said. “Right, Waka?”_

_“Yes, that much is true,” Waka agreed, though his look at Gatou was murderous. Not that Toma blamed him. They were all on edge right now, and if Kent didn't make it—Toma didn't even want to think about that._

_“Excuse me,” Ukyo said, pushing past the assistant to get into the room. Both men glared at him for the crime of coming in the room, but Toma was a little relieved to see him. Somehow it was better they were all here._

_“I thought you were out of town.”_

_“I came as soon as I heard,” Ukyo said. He looked at Waka first and then Ikki, his expression troubled. “How is he?”_

_Ikki glanced toward Gatou. Waka faced his superior with defiance. “We should speak outside.”_

_The three of them left the room. Ukyo looked at the rest of them in turn. “Please tell me. Is it—he's not already—”_

_“No, but it's not looking good at the moment. And his parents... they're gone,” Toma said. He moved closer to Ukyo as the other man sighed. “Look, can you stay here with Ikki? He's a mess, and if we leave...”_

_“You and Shin plan to go after the yakuza?”_

_Toma nodded. “Shin won't stay, that's for damned sure. So... you take care of Ikki for us. If anything changes with Kent... Let us know. Right away.”_

_Ukyo nodded. “Of course.”_

_He looked over as Waka reentered the room, even angrier than before. Toma knew they all joked about being frightened of him, but right now, he was truly terrified._

_“Go,” Waka ordered. “I want as many of them as we can get in custody tonight.”_

_Toma swallowed. Not that he didn't want the same—they had to get the guy who did this to Kent and his parents, but Waka almost sounded like the ones that didn't end up getting dragged in would be dead by morning._

_“What did they say?”_

_“None of you are replaceable,” Waka said, his voice cold. “Not something to be discarded or forgotten.”_

_“Forget the yakuza. I want that bastard,” Shin said, balling a fist and glaring at Gatou and his assistant. Bad Ukyo smirked at them, and Toma wanted to hit him, too._

_“You will have to replace him, Waka,” Gatou said in the doorway, his assistant smirking behind him. “You know this. I haven't said anything wrong. Or is your team incapable of functioning without one man?”_

_“If I were you,” Waka said. “I'd be far more concerned about what might happen if Kent doesn't make it. I assure you—neither of you will smile then.”_


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team works to prove their suspect is the right man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a hard time with this, and I wanted to include one more scene that did more explanation, but it just didn't feel like a chapter ender, so... it'll be in the next one. I am going to wrap this up soon, though, I promise.

* * *

“I don't understand,” Sawa said with a frown. She knew that she and Mine were missing a lot of what was going on here, and it was really frustrating as well as scary and confusing. She wanted to understand what they were talking about—who they were talking about—and to know that they would all be okay when it was over. “Whose assistant? Who are you talking about?”

“Bad Ukyo.”

“I thought we agreed we weren't calling him that anymore,” Ukyo protested, a hurt expression on his face. “He's not—we're very different people. Even if he tried to pretend to be interested in photography, it's not—we're not—”

“He expressed an interest in photography?” Kent asked, frowning. “I do not remember this, but I suppose it is possible he wanted to have the kinds of photos you can create to commemorate his crimes.”

“Seriously, does your mind always go to the worst case scenarios?”

Kent thought about that for a second. “Yes?”

“Maybe you just haven't known enough good,” Orion said. “I think if you were happier, you'd think less of the bad that might happen and more of the good.”

“That is a very illogical thought,” Kent said. “It has nothing to do with how much or how little good I've known but more that my mind can analyze the situation and theorize several possibilities at once, and the less useful ones are discarded before speaking of the most applicable one.”

Orion blinked. “Huh?”

“Can we go back to who this assistant is?” Mine asked. “Why do you all know him? And if he makes you that mad... how did he get away with killing Kent's parents and kidnapping Kokoa?”

“Bad Ukyo is Superintendent Gatou's assistant,” Toma explained. “We got the one before him fired, and he started out resenting us. Gatou didn't like the task force, not from the beginning, so he'd have the guy spy on us as much as he could.”

“Only we always knew when he was listening, so it became kind of a game to mess with him and give Gatou a headache—or a heart attack,” Ikki smiled a little. “That panic he had when Ken told us he'd discovered strains of an ancient plague in the evidence—”

“That was definitely one of the best,” Toma agreed. “And Kent pulled it off so well he actually almost had us believing it.”

“But... you're all so good at your jobs,” Sawa said. “Right? All those awards and stuff from the slideshow, that list of convictions that doesn't fit on your wall—”

“That is inaccurate,” Kent said. “That paper was done as a joke as well.”

“I think Sawa's point was that you're all good detectives. And yet... you missed this killer who worked with you?”

“Not every killer is obvious,” Ikki said. “Even to a cop. Ken could probably cite you all the cases where serial killers went unnoticed by close friends and family.”

“You probably think Toma's a good guy, right?” Shin asked. “A really nice man?”

“What the hell, Shin?” Toma demanded. “What do you think you're—”

“It is not a secret to us that you have anger issues,” Ukyo said. “We all know this, as much as you try and hide them.”

Toma glared back at him, and Sawa wondered if they were completely wrong about him, like Shin's words seemed to imply. He had seemed so nice before, but now she had her doubts.

Waka looked around at the other men. “I believe all of us had some sense he was not to be trusted, but he made sure to use his obnoxious behavior to conceal his true motives. He was careful, and no one besides the few in this room saw anything besides what Watanbe wanted them to see.”

“We assumed he was watching for Gatou, but he had his own reasons,” Ikki said. “He knew if anyone in the department would figure out what he was up to, it was one of us. And he probably wanted revenge against us long before Ken figured out what he was up to, since we humiliated him plenty.”

“That is possible, though it is also possible we are twisting facts to fit a theory,” Kent said, and everyone frowned at him. “I agree he seems likely, that he fills the role as we currently understand it, but we are dealing with a lot of supposition—I still have no real memory of the case. I do believe he was in an ideal position to take advantage of Gatou's general incompetence, but even Toma's filtering does not mean that he is the killer. He just seems obvious to this particular theory.”

“So we find others ways to prove it,” Ikki said. “I've thought about it a lot—if the window from when Kokoa took Orion to the park and when she got back is as small as we think, then this guy's window of opportunity wasn't long enough for him to have wandered in off the streets.”

“He'd have to have lived in the same building,” Shin said, sounding annoyed again. “That's probably the first thing Kent looked at after he knew it was murder.”

“I can see if Watanbe rented there,” Toma said, using the computer so fast that Sawa couldn't read the screen changes.

“I could find a lot more if I got my hands on his financials,” Ikki said. Sawa saw Toma frown and wondered if they saw this as some sort of... competition. That wasn't right. Even if it got results, could they really compete over something like this?

“There may be an even simpler way,” Kokoa said, and now everyone was looking at her. She flushed. “It's just... Kent, you and I both thought if we saw those eyes again, we'd recognize them in spite of the mask. I'm willing to look at his picture and—”

“Photo line ups are actually somewhat of a detriment, as biased as they are, since there is a predisposition to believe that the perpetrator must be among them even if—”

“You don't recognize them, do you?” Shin asked. “If you did, you wouldn't be hiding behind some stupid statistic.”

Kent sighed. “Watanbe's eyes are brown, correct? Yet... the man I saw kill my mother, the masked figure... he had yellow eyes.”

* * *

“Yellow?” Shin repeated, putting a hand to his head. Oh, sure, it made a lot of sense why Kent wouldn't admit to that. It didn't just sound like he had seen someone in a demon mask—it sounded like he was saying he'd seen an actual demon.

The girl shuddered. “He's right. They were yellow. I didn't... I think I tried to tell myself I was imagining it, but... they did look so evil, and if they were yellow...”

“That is what he wanted seen,” Waka said. “The demon. A killer.”

“That doesn't mean it's not Watanbe,” Ikki said, folding his arms over his chest. “Come on, the kid's not the only one who watched the show. How many different eye colors did we have there? And most of the time they had to dye hair, too, since the wigs never looked real enough. Hell, my hair never recovered from what they did to it, so... It's possible. It's not anything to say it's not Watanbe.”

“Agreed,” Waka said. “This demon is another act, a role he uses when he kills. He may even be deluded enough to believe he is possessed by one and that is who does the killing.”

“Fine,” Shin said, not really wanting to deal with another of those sickos. “She should still look at pictures. If he was living as her neighbor, she may have seen him back then.”

“Yes.”

“If he does believe he's some sort of demon, if he alters his eyes and his voice to become it, maybe the evidence Kent found is actually a part of that act,” Ukyo said. He flushed a little, and Shin wanted to tell him to get over himself because his theories were just as valid as anyone else's and had helped in the past, but he didn't bother wasting his breath. “I know as a photographer, setting the right scene and tone is important, more so with portraits than anything else, but sometimes even in landscapes. You can find them by accident sometimes, and those pictures are even more beautiful, but sometimes you have to arrange the image you want.”

“Maybe,” Toma said. “If it was something small, it wouldn't necessarily have seemed out of place in her home, so no officer there flagged it up or if he did—”

“He saw it as a part of why the guy went psycho and killed his wife,” Shin said, ignoring the looks he got. They could do so much more if Kent actually did remember any of this.

“Check the insurance claims,” Kent said, putting a hand to his head like it hurt. “All the units damaged by the fire in her parents' building.”

“That what you did before?”

Kent shook his head. “I don't know, but if I were doing it now, I would. If he was able to use that narrow of a window, he was likely a tenant or somehow related to the building because he had to get in and out quickly. If the arguments her parents were having were loud enough, he'd have been able to hear them and develop his murder-suicide scenario to obscure his crime.”

“But he... he talked like he didn't know about me,” Kokoa said. “He said... if he'd known about me back then he'd have... He'd have wanted to kill me slowly because... I was stronger than I seemed, not like my parents. They were weak, and he... he liked the mix of fear and defiance... that Kent and I both gave him that...”

Orion moved to hug her again, and she held onto him, closing her eyes again. Shin had to admit, she'd surprised him. He hadn't thought much of her before, and mostly he didn't now, since he was pretty sure she was still keeping things from them, but she'd stayed stubborn and had actually given them a lot they could use, too.

“A downstairs neighbor, maybe? Not one that would have passed you in the halls, but one that knew about the fighting,” Toma suggested. He eyed Orion. “Was he a pretty quiet baby?”

She laughed. “Well, no, but... he was usually a happy one, so when he got noisy it was because he was excited, and it used to make them both laugh, too. I thought... back then, I used to think Orion's laughter could cure just about anything.”

Orion grinned at her. “I'd say the same about your smile. Or maybe your singing. Or—”

“I can't sing,” she protested. “Don't give them wrong ideas about me. I'm terrible.”

“But it always makes me laugh so it does cure things,” Orion said, and she smiled back at him, shaking her head as she blushed. 

“Stubborn and shy,” Ikki observed. “That's quite a combination.”

“Ikkyu,” Kent said, glaring at him. “Flirt later, if you absolutely must, but for now, you should concentrate on the financial records for Watanbe. We need that information.”

“I can flirt and work at the same time,” Ikki said, “and I wasn't even flirting, just making an observation.”

“Observe somewhere else,” Kent said. “You're making me nauseous.”

If Ikki was still holding that bowl from earlier, that would make sense, but he'd taken it to the kitchen and come back a whole stack of bowls that he'd in front of Kent. Shin really hoped they didn't need any of them.

“Are you sure that's what it is?” Ikki asked, grinning. “Because I think someone is—”

Kent gagged and grabbed a bowl, heaving into it. Shin grimaced. He did not want to watch or hear this. They needed Kent, he wasn't going to say they didn't, but Shin hated that sound and that smell. He supposed it reminded him too much of his father.

And there, almost like on cue like his mother used to do, Kokoa had reached out a hand to Kent's back to try and soothe him, looking just as worried as his mom always had.

At least Kent wasn't a drunk.

“Are you sure you don't want to lie down again?”

Kent shook his head, setting down the bowl. He reached for a towel and wiped off his face. Shin waited, hoping he was done this time. She kept her hand on him, rubbing in those small circles that all mothers seemed to know.

“I told you before you didn't have to do that.”

Kokoa glanced at her hand and then back to Kent's face. “And if I said I wanted to?”

He stared at her. “I... What? Why?”

“It helps when you feel sick,” Orion said. “She does it for me. Didn't your mom do this for you when you were little?”

Kent shook his head. “My parents were not... physically demonstrative people.”

“Not unless you got them drunk,” Ikki agreed with a bit of a wistful smile. “I can't remember how many times they told me how they met when I got them enough sake, and every time they did... Well, it usually ended with Ken getting embarrassed and reminding them that some things are better done in private, even if it was only a bit of kissing. They were quite romantic under all that logic.”

“Really?” Orion asked. “I thought everyone said they were worse than Kent about emotions.”

“Most of the time, yes, they could be even more logical than he is, but when their inhibitions were down, their real affection for each other showed through a lot more. It also helped that they'd always laugh about Ken's dad bumping into a display case when he first saw her. He shattered the glass and really got her attention. She'd always say Ken made the same face when he got embarrassed and then she'd pinch his cheek, but if you saw the way they looked at each other after that story...” Ikki smiled. “It was definitely love, even if they didn't show it as obviously as some people do.”

“It was quite adorable,” Ukyo agreed. “I do still have some of those pictures if you'd like them, Kent. I never offered before, not after... but Ikki reminded me that you should be able to remember such good times with them as well.”

Shin fought the urge to tell them both that they needed to focus. He knew that Kent didn't want to think about his parents at all—good memories or bad—and it wasn't like those memories would help him settle his stomach.

“I would much rather focus on what we need to do to prove Watanbe is our killer,” Kent said. He grimaced. “I never did finish checking my lab for the files I had.”

“Whoa, Ken, before you get up,” Ikki said, moving to intercept him, “You're sure you're not going to fall down if you do this? There is a correlation between you puking and you falling, remember?”

Kent grimaced. “That is true, but I do not want to sit here and do nothing when that file has to be somewhere that I would have...”

“Ken?”

“I'm thinking,” Kent said, curling up on himself. “Leave me alone.”

* * *

“It is still a bit difficult to tell when you're thinking aloud and when you're going into one of your... fugues,” Toma said, and Kent glared at him. He shrugged, not looking up from his computer, busy working on his search. “Just saying, is all.”

Orion frowned a bit, not sure what a fugue was, but if it was what happened in the hallway last night, it seemed a little scary and sad all at once.

Kent closed his eyes, shaking his head. “You shouldn't even need to know the difference.”

“Oh, come on,” Shin said. “Like you could have hid it from us forever.”

“I had intended to resign when my condition showed almost no signs of improving,” Kent said. “Therefore, we would not be working together or have any occasion to meet, and that would have kept the knowledge to Ikkyu and Waka, which was already more than I felt needed to know.”

“No, it's not,” Ukyo protested. “We're your friends. We would all have been here for you if you'd told us about this.”

Orion thought that was true. As much as some of them, like Shin and that Waka guy, weren't obvious about it—Ikki and Toma and even Ukyo were, showing how worried they were a lot—they all cared about Kent and were trying to help him.

Kent snorted. “What, out of a sense of pity? I do not want or need such a thing, nor was it a valuable use of your time. I couldn't make Ikkyu stay away, but his presence was not as necessary as he thought it was. I am not—I can manage most things quite well. This is—you have been seeing me at my worst. It hasn't been this bad since I left the hospital, and I am—I am not helpless. I am not a child. I do not wish to be treated like something broken.”

“That's not really what you think I do, is it?” Ikki asked, frowning. “This isn't pity. It wouldn't be pity from any of us—”

“From you, it is guilt,” Kent said. “You didn't come to dinner, so you blame yourself—”

“I don't think it's just that, though,” Neesan said, and Kent looked over at her, frowning. “It's a part of it, it has to be, and Ikki shouldn't bother denying that, but it's not _just_ guilt. And it's not pity, either. I know I didn't meet them before this happened, and I never saw you working together, not really, but... you should have heard the way you talked about them. Even when you were unhappy with them, there was an underlying sense of... admiration, if not affection, and I've seen that, too, now, since I've been around all of you. They're not trying to do stuff for you because they pity you but because they'd rather take on the pain themselves because they don't know any other way to help.”

“I am starting to believe it was a pity you were unable to finish your degree,” Waka said, and she flushed, lowering her head. Orion almost did the same. He felt so bad she hadn't been able to keep going to school because of him.

And a little weird, too, because his sister really did know Kent well, but she'd never mentioned him to Orion before, not even when she gave him Kent's book.

“She is pretty good with most people,” Sawa agreed, and Mine nodded. “She could handle customers better than anyone, even the difficult ones like Kent.”

Shin folded his arms over his chest. “Can we get back to the point? None of the rest of it matters right now.”

“Well, Ken's refusal to see any of you might have helped with the rumors that he was dead, which our guy seems to have believed despite the fact that he used to eavesdrop on us all the time,” Ikki said. “And Gatou disbanding the team helped a bit, too, since we weren't usually together to discuss anything. It helps explain why he'd believe Ken was dead despite being close enough to where he should have known better.”

“Again, did you do that on purpose?” Shin asked, and Waka just looked at him. Right. Orion thought Waka had already answered that, but that didn't mean Shin believed him. He seemed to doubt everyone.

“I think it best we let Kent return to his previous line of thought,” Waka said, “though if either Ikki or Toma has come up with anything—”

“Not yet,” Ikki said. “Watanbe's finances are... almost normal, at least on the surface. I'm not done digging yet. Something's off. I need to figure out where it is...”

“There wasn't a Watanbe listed in the insurance claims or the rental agreements,” Toma said, “and none of the rental units was rented by a single man. All of them were families with the exception of one older widow.”

Shin frowned. “This guy isn't good enough to fool a family long term. No way. He only gets away with it with Gatou because that idiot sees what he wants to see. No. What about the widow? Did she have any kids?”

“I'm still trying to get more information on her,” Toma answered, too distracted to look up as he muttered to himself. “It's always the quiet ones.”

Shin snorted. “That, coming from you...”

“You know, I'm getting a little tired of—”

“I don't think this is what Waka meant when he suggested letting Kent finish his thought,” Ukyo said. “Still, I do have some photos that Watanbe ended up in if we want to show them to Kokoa to see if she recognizes him.”

“If he was coming to the cafe, we might have seen him, too,” Sawa said. “Let us look, too.”

“And me, too,” Orion said. “I need to know if he was the man I saw at the fire, the one who was laughing.”

Waka nodded. “Show them.”

* * *

“I don't want to bias anyone, just like Kent was saying before,” Ukyo said, “so there's going to be a few pictures here that are just group shots with various members of the department. No labels, and no hints. That's acceptable, right, Kent?”

“It is the closest to an unbiased reaction as a photo line up can get, though again, they are problematic in many ways. People begin under the assumption they will see the perpetrator in them, even if that is not the case and will allow that to decide their choice even if the real criminal is not among those pictured.”

Ukyo nodded. He'd discussed this with Kent many times before, and they did their best not to rely only on evidence like this. Still, he thought that if they recognized Watanbe from any of the pictures, it would not be out of any kind of bias. He hadn't said which pictures were which, and as long as none of the other task force members gave them any hints, it should be fine.

“We'll start with this one,” Ukyo said, putting up a picture without Watanbe in it, though plenty of others from the office had made it in—he'd enjoyed their reaction to Ikki carrying that giant Pikachu around far too much.

Slowly, the four of them shook their heads.

He switched it to another, again without Watanbe, this one at a retirement party for one of the other detectives Ukyo had worked with in the past. No one recognized anyone there, either.

The third picture had Watanbe in it, standing in the back of a group of office workers, mostly secretaries but a few others who kept the paperwork going. Ukyo wasn't sure why he'd made it in that one, but it was enough that he was present, so he would use it.

Still, no one seemed to recognize him, so Ukyo went to switch pictures again, but then Kokoa spoke, her voice hesitant and uncertain. 

“Wait. That man in the back. Can you... can you make him larger?”

Ukyo nodded, zooming in on Watanbe. He waited, not sure if she had actually recognized him or if she was only curious.

“Oh,” Sawa said. “I think I have seen him. He came into the cafe a couple times last month.”

“Yeah, he didn't like the coffee very much, didn't stay long, and didn't tip,” Mine said, disgusted. “I don't even know why he bothered coming back if he didn't like it.”

“No, that's not it,” Kokoa said. “I... I must be wrong.”

“I saw the man from the side, not the front,” Orion said. “And his face was in the shadows, so... I don't know. But if he was in the cafe—”

“It's not a crime,” Kokoa said. “Kent used to come because it was close even if the food wasn't the best. I just... he's too old.”

“Ukyo,” Kent said, “perhaps you can do some age regression on him to take him back to when he might have been living in that apartment building?”

Mine's eyes got wide. “Wait, is that Watanbe?”

“I didn't say it was,” Kent answered, not exactly lying. “Just that if he seems too old to Kokoa, it is possible that she knew him when they were both younger—when she was living in Kyoto. If she recognized him at a facsimile of that age, then that man could be a suspect.”

“Oh.”

Ukyo set to work, using the software to take a few years off the man's face, regressing him back to the age he would have been when Orion was a baby. He hadn't gotten an exact time frame for the murder, but this should give them an answer either way.

“How about now?”

Kokoa bit her lip. “I... I don't want to be wrong about this, but I think that's the man who almost knocked me down the stairs when I was carrying Orion once. I remember because I was really mad at him—I yelled at him for putting a little kid at risk like that and... and he...”

“What?” Orion asked, frowning. “Did he really hurt you?”

She shook her head. “No, he just... called me some ugly names because he assumed you were my baby and I was... a young slut.”

Orion winced. “Neesan, I'm sorry.”

“You didn't say it, and I knew he was wrong and an idiot,” she said, reaching over to brush back his hair. “I didn't care about that as much as I was worried you could have been hurt.”

“Are you actually going to pretend that was the only time such a comment was made?” Kent asked, and she turned to him, clearly ready to fight. “You are not doing him a kindness by keeping such truths from him. I've said it before and I'll say it now. He should be aware that people make such assumptions, and it's better if you say it than someone else does.”

She balled her fist. “I am so tempted to ask you what you'd even know about that. It's not like people made assumptions about your parentage or called you a—”

“In case you missed it, most people assume I had no parents at all, just spawned as a robot or artificial intelligence, not a person, and as for the names I have been called, there are several, none quite like that, though it has been implied several times that certain relationships were sexual in nature when they were not.”

“Yeah, um,” Toma began, coughing and avoiding looking at Waka. “There is a rumor that Waka made us in to the task force because he wanted a private harem of pretty boys.”

“Which is why it's better not to listen to any of the rumors around the station about any of us, even if it's not about our personal lives,” Shin said. “None of it's true. They just like to waste time talking instead of working. And, for the record, Kent's right. You are not doing that kid any favors keeping that stuff from him. Trust me.”

“Shin had to deal with all kinds of rumors about his dad in school,” Toma said. “And his mom was no help when it came to that stuff. Not that my father was, either, but he does know what it's like to be blindsided by the rumor mill at school. Hell, he's still feeling it now, thinking everyone judges him by what his dad did and not who he is. Warning Orion would probably have been better. Knowing what to expect doesn't always make it easier, but at least it's not a sucker punch.”

“That said, your brother's not being entirely honest with you, either,” Ikki told her. Orion's eyes got wide as she frowned. “He kept the fact that he was being bullied at his old school from you. He even admitted that Taniguchi was allowing it to happen.”

“What?”

“It wasn't that bad,” Orion protested, though he turned to glare at Ikki before trying to persuade his sister. “Really. I was fine. It was just annoying, and the new school is so much better, and it's fine now. It is. Taniguchi didn't like anyone, it wasn't just me, but he was actually almost nicer that last bit I was there, and he did call off the bully. I thought it was because he knew I was transferring.”

Kokoa shook her head. “I didn't tell your school I was switching you over. I didn't want to know what Taniguchi might do, even if I was pretty sure Kent had spoken to him.”

“You said you didn't know before,” Orion said. “You... do now?”

She nodded. “I know I didn't give into his threat, but he didn't retaliate, and that to me meant only one thing—Kent had spoken to him. I... never thanked you for that, either.”

Kent shook his head. “I expected an angry tirade for interfering in your life when you'd made it clear that you could handle it yourself, not a thank you.”

She nodded. “Yes, I suppose you would have. That doesn't make it right that I didn't thank you. I meant to. That night, when you came to tell me about my parents... I had meant to tell you I was moving thanks to you letting me know about that apartment and that Orion was in the new school, but then... you started off with the rumor about his father and the conversation did not get better from there.”

Kent nodded. “I do remember that much.”

She winced. “Kent, I—”

“Please do not apologize again,” Kent said. He closed his eyes for a minute, and Ukyo thought he was tense again. Was this a sign he was about to vomit? Or was he just trying to avoid the emotional implications of their current conversation. “Waka, did I give you a painting?”

Waka frowned. “You don't remember that?”

“I think you've given him at least two,” Ikki said. “You know, because the art that came with the house didn't mean anything to you, and while you sold quite a few of the pieces to afford the renovation to the lab, you were also willing to give some of them away, like the one your parents got and since Waka is very hard to shop for, you just gave him one of the paintings he'd admired when he was here.”

“Why are we talking about paintings?” Shin asked. “What does this have to do with anything?”

Kent managed a faint smile. “Maybe everything.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kent's memory helps a bit and also does more damage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had wanted to end the last chapter with the flashback that starts this one, but it didn't feel right. I pushed it back, rewrote parts of it, and finally have it about where it should be. It was difficult to get the emotional tone of this chapter right. I redid it quite a bit, and I had to push more stuff I wanted to do (she has a whole speech she's supposed to give Kent that just didn't get them where they needed to be plot-wise, so I had to cut it and rework things.
> 
> She still has to say something similar, though.

* * *

_“You seem very distracted this evening.”_

_Kent looked up at his father's words. Without Ikkyu to force conversation, the dinner had passed by without much talking, as was almost usual among the three of them when they were alone. They did not always have meaningful things to discuss, and while his father had spoken of his research some, Kent hadn't paid much attention to it. That likely led his parents to conclude that he was not interested in talking at all, which was both true and inaccurate at the same time._

_“I... Yes,” Kent said, not wanting to give voice to the main reason for it, the words that kept echoing in his head. He had done what he had to, he knew that, since he could not tell Kokoa that her parents had been murdered, not with the amount of crimes he now believed their killer had also committed and where he was starting to believe the man worked._

_If he could just determine the Kyoto connection... Was it only because he wanted to hide his crimes, to appear unrelated to them, even as much as he made them look like other things so that no one would look for a killer? He favored accidents and suicides, only risking the murder-suicide twice, but that was only what Kent had found so far. He needed more time to research other crimes, especially if his idea about the secondary cycle was true. He didn't have much to go on there, but Kokoa's insistence that her mother wasn't that kind of woman made him wonder if it was true. He had found other possible victims had previously been a victim of some kind of violent crime, usually a mugging but not always and it seemed possible that this killer actually repeated his victimization, attacking once in a seemingly unrelated crime and going back again to kill._

_“Are you troubled by the threats that man made in the courtroom?” his mother asked, frowning. “He did make several and said you'd been warned as well.”_

_“There have been verbal threats before, but I do not believe that the yakuza will try to kill me,” Kent said. “No, I am not worried about that.”_

_“Yet something is troubling you. You've been trying to solve something all through dinner,” his father said. “We know that look very well by now.”_

_“I... Yes. There is something,” Kent admitted. He looked at his mother again. Gatou had told him not to speak of the case, but he'd fully intended to break that silence as soon as Waka was back, and technically he already had. “The superintendent told me not to inform anyone of it, though.”_

_His mother laughed. “And since when do you take orders from him over those of Waka? It is inefficient to allow an incompetent man to make decisions for you even if he is your superior.”_

_Kent nodded. “I agree. I had only meant to wait for Waka to return, but the trial took up so much of our time and I lost those days to the concussion I got, so I fell behind and had to rebuild some of my work and then actually found myself in debate over emotional considerations and even now I don't know if I made the right choice there.”_

_Kent's father frowned, putting his elbows on the table and interlacing his fingers. “It's unlike you to let emotions cloud any kind of decision.”_

_“I don't think I did,” Kent said. “I... I acted knowing what someone else's emotional response would be, and that did lead me a few places I might not have considered if I was looking at it without having spoken to that person first, but I do not believe it compromised my investigation as I didn't reach my conclusion without evidence—it was the autopsy itself that should have shown others they were wrong. One body showed signs of smoke inhalation and exposure, but the other did not, and the order in which the deaths was supposed to have happened makes that a clear contradiction. Meaning she was right in her emotional conviction—her father didn't kill her mother. Of course, telling her that would be irresponsible as I believe that the person responsible for her parents' death also caused several others and she would not be the sort of person who would leave such a thing alone even if she has no background or authority to investigate. She is so stubborn... and brave. Foolishly brave. She'd probably go right to her brother's true sire and accuse him of murder. I could not allow her to do something so rash, but she would of course tell me I'm interfering and she can take care of herself and she would hate me even more for denying her the choice, but I could not allow her to put herself in danger. She escaped this killer once, but if he had her a second time...”_

_Kent's father frowned. “How well do you know this woman?”_

_With a grimace, Kent realized he'd spoken too much of that aloud again, as he often did while thinking. “It is not important.”_

_“It sounds important,” his mother said with a smile that reminded him almost of Ikkyu. Kent did not want her teasing him now. “Is she someone you work with? You've never mentioned a female colleague except the two in the lab that are 'passably adequate' at their jobs.”_

_“Passably adequate is high praise from our son,” Kent's father reminded her. “He's very difficult to impress. This other woman must be special.”_

_“No. I—She is not—this is not about her.”_

_“It's about her parents,” his mother disagreed. “That makes it also about her. Were it to have been a murder-suicide, one would have to question her genes, but as it is not, there is no reason to doubt them.”_

_“Why do you immediately assume that her genetics are of any kind of of concern?” Kent asked, uncertain why they seemed to think Kokoa meant more to him than she did. “They are not. She is not—she would never—”_

_“Never is a word it is best not to use as it is not something you can guarantee outside of certain mathematical properties.”_

_“And don't forget that you are very stubborn yourself,” his mother added. “Also too brave sometimes for my liking. You work for the police and yet never believe you could come to harm. That is illogical.”_

_Kent frowned. “You're a prosecutor. You are ignoring the same threats I am.”_

_She shook her head. “That is different. When I deal with criminals, they have already been arrested and detained. Yours are not. You put yourself in physical danger too often.”_

_“Most of the time when I am in the field, I am supervising in some way, either evidence collection or directing the team if Waka is not present. It is not that great a risk,” Kent insisted. “And I've already taken steps in case anything did happen to me. Gatou has been informed, though he's useless. I have a copy of this file and my notes at home in case anything happened to the ones at work or on my tablet, and I was going to leave this one here.”_

_He took the file he'd shown Kokoa out of his jacket and set it on the table. “That way it is in at least five places, and the team can follow my work back to this point. It may take Ikkyu a while to get through the puzzle I left on Waka's gift, but that was merely a security measure in case someone in the department was involved.”_

_“You think they are?” Kent's father asked, frowning. “That is not the same as ignoring a threat from a yakuza family with its head cut off, Kent. This person might already know what you've discovered depending on their position.”_

_“It... I have a vague suspicion but nothing concrete,” Kent said. His theory felt sound in too many ways to ignore it despite the lack of proof, but he still had to acknowledge that it could be mere paranoia. “No evidence, just the part of my theory that says he's involved with the police in some way to try and exert control over his crimes, to make sure they're concealed as accidents or suicides, not as murder. I still haven't managed to prove that, especially as most of the crimes seem to have happened in Kyoto and yet there is an element here that I think is also the same person... that is not proven, all theory and guesswork, even... intuition, which I dislike using as a basis even if Waka and the others believe I have good 'instincts' about these sort of things.”_

_“Yes, it is best to stick to verifiable facts,” his father agreed. “Still, I don't like it. You are too vulnerable now, with more than one enemy capable of making a move against you. This is not a position you would normally allow yourself to be backed into in Go or any other game of strategy, and those are only games.”_

_Kent sighed. This case had gotten past him in several ways—between her and what he felt he should have seen long before now in the patterns, but he didn't want to say that. He did feel like his judgment was compromised._

_It had been since he met her, if he was honest about it. Though he'd always ended their discussions feeling his position was correct, when he was alone later, his mind would return to her words and give them further consideration. Sometimes it seemed like he just wanted to hear her voice, since he never changed his opinion on her flawed arguments, but he thought about them too often._

_About her, actually._

_No, that was done. She did not want to see him again, and he'd gone tonight aware that was likely to be her reaction. He'd been preparing himself for that possibility for a while now, though all of that had proved useless._

_A part of him wanted to go back and admit to her that it was all a lie. He wouldn't. Even if it wasn't illogical and based on emotions he didn't want or understand, he knew he couldn't. Drawing attention to her would make her a target of this man again, her and her brother. He could count their parents' murder as the first crime and have no reason not to kill her right away._

_Kent needed to arrange for someone to protect them. Ikkyu was a perfect choice in many ways—she'd said her brother liked him, so he would listen and not care why Ikkyu was around, and Ikkyu would easily convince her he was only there because he was interested in her._

_And since it was Ikkyu, she would likely be interested in return. Almost everyone was._

_“Kent,” his father said, and Kent looked up, frowning, not sure how long he'd let her distract him again. “This level of distraction—”_

_“I didn't realize how complicated this case was when I took it on. It appeared to be a simple murder-suicide. It was only after I looked at the evidence itself that I knew they had made mistakes and settled too quickly on an easy answer.”_

_“Your father is right. It is unlike you to complicate your life so much,” his mother said. “You had more than enough responsibilities as it was—your lab, your research, your team, and your testimony. Why would you take on a case from Kyoto as well?”_

_“I was asked,” Kent said. “And I saw no reason why I couldn't handle one more case, since it was just a review. It wasn't supposed to be this. Most people would say that my reaction to it was... excessive or even paranoid. Gatou thought it was at first until I presented to him the list of crimes I believe this killer may be responsible for, and then he started counting commendations, I think, especially since most of them were in Kyoto, not here, so they would carry the shame of missing the true nature of these deaths and he would look the hero.”_

_“This is not about glory.”_

_“I still think there must have been more to it,” his father said, gathering up the dishes, and Kent frowned at him. “It is not like you not to consider the possible implications in advance. You were aware of inconsistencies in the case, so why would you not believe it could become as complicated as it has?”_

_“I...” Kent stopped. Truthfully, he would have done anything she asked of him, had even done plenty she had not asked of him and didn't want, and he was ashamed of that, this desire to do more for her than was necessary or logical, the way he'd started avoiding his own home as much as possible, disliking the knowledge of how much space he had in comparison to her, how he could give her and her brother floors to themselves and still have space while she struggled to afford a single room apartment._

_None of that mattered, of course. She didn't want to see him again._

_That thought made him feel uneasy, almost ill, and he disliked himself for this reaction as well._

_“There is no reason,” he said, knowing his voice sounded wrong, that his denial would not be believed by either of them._

_“You do not lie well, son,” his father said, giving him a long look. “You never have.”_

_Kent closed his eyes with a wince._

_“You need not take that as a judgment,” his mother said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Your father and I are concerned, of course, as you have been under a lot of strain and were injured recently. Come. It's already late, and you said you wanted to speak to Waka tonight. You should probably leave now if you're going to go.”_

_He nodded, following her to the door._

* * *

“Everything?” Shin asked, not sure how much longer he could control his frustration. He knew Kent wasn't feeling well, and he was still missing memories, but this was getting really damned old. Shin wanted to be doing something, and this wasn't how he usually gathered evidence. “You want to explain that a little, Kent?”

“There was a painting waiting for me when I returned,” Waka said, folding his arms behind his back and looking at Kent. “It was even wrapped in a bow that was made of red tape. That suggested that you discussed this gift with the others as such a joke was not your usual style—”

“Oh, that's right,” Ukyo said, smiling at the memory. “I remember Kent bringing that in. He hadn't wrapped it, and he didn't think it was necessary, so I did that.”

“And I added the red tape,” Toma said, sounding pleased with himself as usual, even if he shouldn't be. “Since I was stuck in the office waiting for them to decide if they were suspending me or not over someone else's mistake, I needed something to do.”

“Only you were too angry to tie a proper bow so I took over and made it look pretty,” Ikki said, making Shin roll his eyes. “And I—I mean _someone_ —put it in Waka's office just before we got the call out to that damned pit.”

“Pit?” Orion asked, frowning. He wasn't the only one confused about that, though his sister clearly didn't want him to hear about it. “What pit?”

“You do not want to know,” Toma assured him. When the others looked doubtful, he insisted. “Really, you don't. None of us can get those images out of our heads—”

“Kent did.”

“—and it was—”

“Don't say that like he did it on purpose,” Ikki said, frowning at Shin. “Even if he was the only one of us that didn't almost lose it seeing those kids, he didn't ask to get concussed and lose his memory.”

No, but that didn't mean they didn't all envy him a little. Shin had been almost as frustrated with Kent that morning, unable to understand how he'd stayed calm while collecting evidence, rattling off details about those kids that got worse and worse as he went on. Shin had managed to keep his cool over a lot of things, he had to, but seeing those kids took him back to his dad at his worst.

He thought he'd even let Toma hug him, which he never did, but there were some moments where having that idiotic protective older brother was almost worth it, since nothing calmed him down when he was a kid like Toma's presence.

He shook that off. He was older now. He didn't need anything from Toma, hadn't for years.

“Fine,” Shin said, not about to apologize, “but if that's where Kent put the puzzle or whatever the hell it was, why didn't we know about it before?”

“Because as soon as I returned, there was a child killer who nearly killed Kent,” Waka said like it was obvious. It was, but Waka wasn't really someone anyone thought of as sentimental and even if he did care about his people, it wasn't like him to miss something like a math puzzle on a painting. “I was not in the mood for gifts of any sort.”

“Given where I suspected you were all that time, I didn't think you would be, but then that was not the purpose of the gift in the first place,” Kent said. “It was a fail safe, and I suspect it is still safe, just was never quite used as intended.”

Waka studied him. “I am curious. Where did you think I was?”

“Some place you will never admit to or acknowledge but that has ties to the rumors about your past,” Kent answered. “After all, if you were merely traveling, we would have been able to contact you. As we were not able to do so... I believe wherever you were and whatever you did is classified well above the level of anyone in this room.”

Waka only smiled.

“Okay, so... you remembered where you put the evidence, then, right?” Toma asked. Shin almost told him not to get his hopes up, but he had wanted to ask that himself. “If you remembered the painting—”

“No, I remembered telling my parents I left Waka a gift,” Kent corrected. Shin grunted. He'd expected as much, but that didn't make it any better. “I assumed it was a painting because I cannot think of anything else we've ever given Waka with any sort of success, and I wouldn't have wanted to risk him immediately discarding it. I still have no memory of actually deciding to give Waka a painting or bringing it to the office or what I did before that or after.”

“You were called away from our cooking lesson to go deal with the missing warrant,” Kokoa said. “You must have done it before then if Ukyo and Toma were wrapping it while they were sorting out that mess.”

Kent frowned. “I... There is a brief moment I now think may be from that cooking session as you said the space was cramped, yes? I... I think I do remember bumping into you, but I still don't remember the cooking lesson itself. That is odd because I know how to cook and did after getting out of the hospital, but I don't know why that night, of any, is missing.”

“I have a theory,” Ikki said, and Kent looked at him, frowning. “And yes, you've already guessed it and hate it, but you can't prove I'm wrong, can you?”

“I should very much like to dump this bowl on you right now, Ikkyu.”

Shin was not about to let that happen even if Ikki might deserve it. “You mentioned the painting to your parents but nothing else? No evidence?”

Toma gave him a look. “Shouldn't you be more angry about him telling his parents and not us?”

Shin grimaced. “Yeah, I'm angry, but what the hell good does that do now?”

Kent closed his eyes. “Telling my parents was also part of the fail safe. My paranoia over this matter was apparently at such a level that I felt several back ups were necessary—the files were at my home, at work, on my tablet, wherever the rest of the evidence is, and also to be left with my parents. I I had already put a math puzzle on Waka's painting and left it for him.”

“Damn it, Ken, you—”

“I believed I had taken enough steps to ensure that even if something happened to me, the case could be finished,” Kent said. “I didn't plan for surviving and losing my memory of it... that didn't even seem something to bother preparing for.”

“Yeah, but if you did all that, why the hell are we only finding out about it now?”

“You knew Gatou had been informed,” Waka said, and Shin glared at him. Like that changed anything. It was not enough. “And he admitted he put Kent under orders not to speak of the case.”

“He told his parents.” Shin folded his arms over his chest. Kent had done that after Waka was back, even, so that wasn't an excuse. “Orders or not, he could have told us. He should have told you.”

“It was also my intention to speak to Waka directly that night,” Kent said. “I... I have only recovered pieces, but from what I said to them that night, I... I had only intended to obey Gatou's orders until Waka returned, but then I lost days to the concussion and had to rebuild half my work while in the middle of the trial. It is not much of an excuse, but I... knowing me, I would have wanted my theory complete before turning it over to Waka.”

“You know he would have trusted you enough without that.”

“I also... had some doubts about my judgment in the matter,” Kent said, uncomfortable. “My parents asked me about it as well, as to why I'd even taken on the case with all I was already doing, and the idea that I hadn't considered the implications of what it might mean bothered my father a great deal—I... I was compromised and they knew it even if I was denying to myself.”

“You held back because you thought you were just paranoid?”

* * *

“You haven't heard the entirety of the theory, nor do I even have it, but I couldn't prove half of it, and that bothered me,” Kent said. He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced, and a part of her wanted to yell at Shin for pushing him again. While she did think everyone on Kent's team did care for him in their way, they did seem to expect a lot of him, maybe even too much.

Kent was smart, and he was logical to what she'd always thought was a bit of an extreme, with an emotional detachment that was fascination and worrisome at the same time. She'd wanted to understand him, but she knew now that she'd never managed it before she was attacked. She still didn't now, but she had a better idea than before.

It wasn't that Kent didn't feel. He just buried it down because it was illogical, so he didn't deal with it at all, and that was something that had damaged so much already.

“Spit it out,” Shin said. “Let us decide how crazy we think it is. Don't just assume that we wouldn't have at least looked into it if you'd told us.”

Waka shook his head. “Judging by the sometimes blind faith you all usually give Kent's abilities, I doubt that was his concern when he held back this theory.”

“Yeah, we talked about that before,” Ikki said. “We would probably have gone along with whatever it was.”

Kent took a breath and let it out. “The whole thing hangs on a blind supposition of its own, from what I can tell. It has no firm basis.”

Shin balled a fist. “Kent, talk like a normal person for five minutes.”

“Please,” Mine added, sounding confused instead of frustrated.

“He talks just fine,” Kokoa said. She didn't always understand everything Kent said, not the first time, but if she asked or even just blinked in confusion a few times, he would explain it, and she did. If she was honest about it, she could listen to Kent talk for hours.

Kent sighed. “What I mean is that it was only ever a theory. I knew, even before we had the conversation about her parents' death, that she would tell me her mother was not that sort of woman. We had barely spoken of her parents at that point, at least that I can remember, and so I don't know where this conviction came from, but if she was correct and her mother was not that sort of woman, adding in the factor of their sudden move... I believe this somehow led me to reach the conclusion that the killer had a repeating cycle of not one but two crimes.”

“Two?” Ukyo asked with a frown. “You mean he killed in a pattern of two deaths each time?”

“No,” Kent said. “I don't know if he had a pattern when it came to timing, that wasn't a part of what I got back, but... I believe he targeted the same victim twice each time. The first one was a form of direct confrontation, where he did harm to his victim but allowed him to live. He would later return to kill them and stage their deaths. I found some evidence to point to this being true when I found that other victims in what I believed were staged deaths had previously been victims of violent crimes, most often muggings but not always.”

She shuddered. That was almost scarier than it being just the murders and the fires, wasn't it? And yet, it was right, wasn't it? That man had said as much to her.

“That is still all theory, though. I couldn't prove the other cases were actually the same killer, and the earlier crimes could have been unconnected. They were all unsolved, but that didn't mean anything in of itself. There are a great many unsolved cases out there.”

“Gatou did not mention that part of the theory, and I pressed him very hard for every detail of what you told him,” Waka said, and Kent frowned at him. “It would seem you chose not to share that part of your theory with him as well.”

“Why would he?” Toma asked. “Even if he was his superior, we never tell Gatou everything.”

“Even if Ken did, it could have been too much for him,” Ikki said. “Gatou is an idiot, but he doesn't like conspiracy theories, either, and this goes closer to one than Ken's ever gone in the past.”

“No, it doesn't fit,” Shin said, and they all looked at him. “She didn't recognize Watanbe, but she said that the guy they claimed was that kid's father was at the funeral and people wanted her to give the boy to him. She would have recognized him.”

She flinched, though Shin's words weren't wrong. “That... that's true. That's not the man I met at my parents' funeral, the one that everyone said was Orion's father.”

“If you had doubts about your theory, you should have come to us. We could have investigated it and proved it one way or another.”

Kent nodded. “That is true.”

She frowned. “Wait, you're not actually saying that—”

“My parents saw it. They knew my judgment was compromised. He kept saying I was distracted,” Kent said. He covered his face with his hands. “I was, but it wasn't just that. It wasn't just the concussion, I'd suspected it before, but I ignored it... I suppose I thought if I had proof... They saw. They knew. They pointed out the lack of logic, how unlike me it was, and I agreed, but by then... It was already too late. It didn't matter if I'd already decided to talk to Waka or if I'd tried to set something in place against this killer, I was... I was wrong. Could I have been so overconfident that—but I had doubts... I don't... I knew my theory was flawed, and yet I didn't... I didn't turn it over. Why didn't I turn it over sooner?”

“Ken, don't do this to yourself,” Ikki said. “I don't believe you didn't have what you considered good reasons for it. That's just not who you are. If you felt you couldn't give it to us, you had your reasons. That's all you need to know.”

“It is unlike you to hold something like this back, especially if you had doubts about the validity of it or your own judgment,” Waka said. “I agree with Ikki that you had your reasons. We may never know what they were, but you had them.”

Kent didn't look up, not comforted by either of them. “Even if I had good reasons—and we don't know that I did. I can't even think of any—I was wrong. I had a theory that was insane, but instead of exposing it to proper debate and proof, I hid it. How would that ever be right?”

“I don't think you're as wrong as you think you are,” she said, grimacing a little at her own words. “Maybe it wasn't about Orion, and I can't say if my parents were ever victims because they wouldn't have told me if they were, but... he said it. Kent, he told me... the only thing he regretted was that you died before he could play the second round.”

Kent shuddered. “Even if that's true... and at this point, I don't know that I discount the possibility of him knowing of this... idea of mine... I still put my parents at risk. They didn't know—my mother was aware of the yakuza threats but not this and I didn't warn them in time. I had a choice to look into this matter, to pursue it, but they didn't. Neither of them knew what I was doing and by the time they did know, it was too late. I brought this on all of us and I didn't even take proper steps—”

“No,” she disagreed. “I was the one that brought it up, that got you involved. I didn't even know what I was asking... but it's because of me.”

“No, I... You said... I trusted my team, but... I don't think I did,” he admitted, the words almost muffled by his hands. “It wasn't that I thought... my parents understood better or that they... I couldn't allow myself to be weak... but you compromised me. From the beginning... I... I didn't always see it, but I thought... they questioned your genes... but it was mine that were defective...”

“You're human, Kent.” She tried not to flinch at her own tone, but he seemed to have forgotten that he was. He wouldn't accept anything less than full blame for what happened, and it wasn't right. He hadn't asked for this, he didn't know this was coming, and how could he really believe that he should have? Even his boss who seemed to be part myth had missed a lot of it. “We all have defective genes.”

Kent shook his head. “You don't understand. At all. Which is, in some sense... a relief.”

“Not to me it isn't,” she said. She wanted to help, and she got the feeling he was about to shut her and everyone else out again. He wanted to take the blame for all of this, and she was afraid if they let him go even close to that—she might not be a psychologist like she'd planned. She might not work for the police—but she knew that if Kent had half a chance right now, he'd offer himself up as bait. Even for an unemotional man like Kent—or maybe especially for him, with his devotion to logic and love of mathematics—it would seem like the only way to equal out the debt caused by his actions.

She couldn't let that happen.

* * *

“I don't think we can afford to ignore Kent's theory about this guy targeting people for crimes twice,” Toma said. He might not have all the details of the theory, but Waka wasn't wrong. Toma still trusted Kent's judgment. If he had to take a guess about what made Kent question his judgment, it was the way he felt about the woman next to him, but none of them really wanted to have that conversation now. Shin would just get angry, with them getting off topic again, and besides, Kent would probably rather die than actually talk about his feelings in front of them. “And we should look into the other possibility.”

“Other possibility?” Sawa asked, frowning. “What possibility?”

“That Orion's biological father was responsible for the deaths of their parents,” Kent answered, blunt as ever. Orion winced, and his sister turned her attention from Kent for a moment to hold onto him instead.

“Even if he was, that doesn't make any part of you bad or... wrong or... I don't want you thinking terrible things about yourself because of him,” Kokoa told him, cupping his cheek. “You are a sweetheart. The best of us.”

“Neesan,” Orion said, clinging to her but looking up at Kent. “Do you really think my father is a killer?”

“Actually, I think I can shed a bit of light on that particular aspect of the case,” Ikki said, and Toma looked over at him with a frown.

“I thought you were handling Watanbe's financial records.”

“I was,” Ikki said. “I am, but that's one of those things I've put to the side to pick up later. It's how I solve half of Ken's problems. I need the other angle, and those come best when I'm busy with other things. I prefer those other things be a lady, of course, but since in this case my specialty is going to make someone very happy. Well, relieved, at least.”

“Only if you actually say it,” Shin told him. “No one is relieved by your grandstanding.”

Ikki gave him a thin smile. “Oh, Shin, jealous as ever. Well, as it so happens, I have a rather simple and rather touching reason for the move to Kyoto, though it does prove that the police in question were idiots.”

“Ikki—”

“Kokoa's parents were in Kyoto to see a certain nationally recognized expert by the name of Adachi. He specializes in, of all things, resolving fertility issues,” Ikki said. He smiled into the looks he got from the others. “Yes, you guessed it. Kokoa's papa was having a bit of trouble with his swimmers, but they wanted another child, so... after years of trying to get things to work with Adachi, looks like they asked a friend to help out. Judging from the amounts of these payments, I think it was done by procedure—you know, artificial—”

“You don't need to say it,” Shin said. “We know.”

Ikki smirked. “Still such a child.”

“I will hit you.”

“Oh,” Orion said, blinking. “So... It's not so bad, right? My... uh... other father might not be a bad guy after all? He might have helped my parents get what they really wanted?”

“I had no idea they were seeking fertility treatments,” Kokoa said. “I suppose they wouldn't have told me, that's pretty... private. I do remember them asking me if I wanted a brother or a sister, but I was really young back then. Still... it would explain why Orion didn't come along until I was almost grown.”

Orion nodded, snuggling into her side with a smile. Then he tensed. “Does that mean that... I would have to go to this guy that really is my father if he wanted me? Can he like... take us to court if we ever go back to Kyoto where he could find us or... um... just do it anyway because he wants to?”

“He would likely have had to surrender parental rights in the arrangement Ikkyu just described.”

“Yeah,” Toma agreed, though he hadn't spent much time on that part of the law. “He would have, so it would be harder for him to get it back now, though other lawyers might convince him he had a chance. If he did, your sister has options, too.”

“I bet if she married someone and had him apply to adopt you, that could be a big help.”

“Ikkyu.”

“It's not like I volunteered myself for that role, Ken. I have someone else in mind—”

“Enough,” Waka said. “What we need to know now is if we can prove our killer is actually Watanbe. That was what you and Toma were working on. Now that you're done with the other possibility, please find that discrepancy in Watanbe's records. Toma, the widow—”

“She definitely had a son. He'd be Watanbe's age within a few years, so he could pull off lying about being either one—her name is not Watanbe—but I can't find any photos of them to compare to the ones Ukyo has of Watanbe to be sure.”

“Depending on her age at the time of the murders, it might not have been more than that,” Kent said, frowning. “If her mind had deteriorated, then he could have exploited her to get access to a home in Kyoto where he would not be noticed or missed when he left to kill.”

“It does sort of fit with everything we know of this killer so far,” Shin agreed. “He's all about hiding, making himself look like something he's not. Still, if we can't tie him to the apartment building other than maybe bumping into her there, we can't prove he killed her parents.”

“We're going to need to start digging up those other cases Kent found,” Toma said. That was going to be a lot to go over. “There may be more evidence there.”

“The painting is on the wall at my home,” Waka said. “I do not remember seeing any puzzle on it when I was hanging it, but I doubt Kent would have made it obvious if he was trying to conceal its existence from someone in the department.”

Shin sighed. “Let me guess—you want us all to wait here while you go get it.”

Waka gave him a slight smile before leaving the room.

“Damn it.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team puts a few more pieces together and starts to make plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I knew this was where I wanted to go with this chapter, since the conversation needed to happen and a few other things had to be addressed, but wow, it did not want to be written.

* * *

“Okay, I know he's really scary, but does he—is he really safe going off on his own?” Mine asked, frowning. “He's not going to get hurt, is he?”

“Unlikely. Waka moves like a ninja or a ghost, and you never see him coming unless he wants you to,” Ikki said. “And no one actually knows where he lives, so... it's a bit safer, I guess. I mean, we all pretty much believe that he was an assassin before he became a policeman, so... It's not that likely that this guy with his need for theatrics and deteriorating mental state could get a jump on Waka.”

“He got close to the rest of you at the cafe, though,” Sawa said. “He was able to go into the kitchen and set a fire and—oh, we are so fired.”

Mine's eyes got wide. “That's true. That manager will blame us even if it isn't our fault.”

“Don't worry about it,” Toma said. “We'll have a talk with him, and if that's not enough, there's always asking Waka.”

“You think he would do it?” Sawa asked, not sure she believed that. Why would Waka be willing to talk to their manager? She'd like to see him cower like everyone did when Waka spoke to him—that would make up for so much that he'd said and done over the years, but she didn't think that would happen. “Why would he?”

“Oh, aside from Waka having this habit of doing the opposite of what you expect, he's got a soft spot for Kokoa,” Ikki said. “He'll do it if he's asked. I'd even be willing to put money on it.”

“We are not betting on Waka,” Shin said. “Don't even start. We are finishing this, getting the evidence we need, finding this bastard, and dealing with him.”

Sawa bit her lip, looking over at Kokoa. She seemed just as worried—they might not be willing to just arrest this guy after all he'd done. He was a bad man, there was no denying that, since he'd killed people and tortured others—he'd hurt Kokoa and Kent—but could that really make it right if they killed him?

She didn't want any of these men to be a killer, not if they didn't have to be. They were all too good and kind for that, even Shin with all his grumpiness.

“What about the man who thought you got the job his son should have had?” Kokoa asked, looking at Kent. “Could that have anything to do with this? He was in Kyoto, too, wasn't he?”

“Oh, you just might be our good luck charm,” Ikki said, grinning at her. Everyone else was frowning, but he looked really excited as he went back to work. Sawa hoped that was a good sign, but the way that Kent was glowering didn't seem right, either. Was he sick again?

“Can someone explain who this guy is? You've mentioned him before, I think, but you didn't say what that was about,” Sawa said. When Shin looked at her, she shrugged. “Ikki thought it was important, and we're waiting for Waka, aren't we?”

“Not exactly, but you've got a point,” Toma said. “I mean, looking for people with a grudge, we would probably have done a little more digging into that guy if we'd had more time, just for elimination purposes.”

“Oh?” Mine asked. “Is that really important?”

“You have to know who didn't do something sometimes to know who did,” Shin said. “This guy in Kyoto wasn't really a suspect before, but then we got him pretty good a few years ago.”

“I heard he retired in shame,” Toma agreed. “And didn't that office in Kyoto beg you to take over, Kent? Offered you twice your salary or something?”

“The exact figure is not necessary, nor was it sustainable. They could not afford to pay me what they were offering and maintain the lab,” Kent said. “It was not even worth discussing.”

“They could have offered you the cost of this house and it still wouldn't have come close to what you're worth,” Ikki said. “You've been underpaid since you started working for Waka, but you know that already. If money was what mattered to you, you could have had any of thousands of other jobs instead.”

“I am not that talented. I was fairly specialized before I started working for the police, and while that has changed, it's not something where I can just go be whatever I want. The world does not work that way.”

“You probably could get another job easier than any of us if you really wanted it,” Toma said. “I don't have any trial experience and my law degree doesn't mean much around here. I think I'd end up a glorified babysitter if I left.”

“What?”

“He means a bodyguard,” Shin answered. “It's about the only thing we're qualified for outside of this job.”

Ukyo shook his head in protest. “That's not true.”

“You could always be a model,” Mine said. “I don't think there's a one of you that couldn't get that job. Even Kent can be attractive when he's not talking. Or glaring at you and calling you an idiot.”

“Kent,” Toma chided. “That's not very nice.”

“She proved incapable of basic addition,” Kent said, defensive. “They both did. It was irritating.”

“Oh,” Orion said. “Is that why you didn't get along? Because Neesan's so bad at math?”

“On the contrary, your sister managed the same calculation just fine,” Kent told him. “She was so pleased after she did it her smile was... Well, that does not matter. The point is that your sister could manage the addition where they could not.”

“Yeah,” Mine said. “She was so happy about it, too. Didn't stop smiling for the rest of her shift.”

Sawa nodded in agreement. “She didn't, but that was because Kent actually smiled at her. We were all pretty sure he was incapable of smiling until then, but he smiled at her when she got it right, she smiled back, and kept on smiling.”

“I would have liked to have seen that,” Ukyo said, and Kent frowned at him. He gave him a slight smile. “Genuine smiles from you are pretty rare, Kent. I thought the same thing about you when we first met, that you didn't smile at all, and I did come to see some smirks or pleased looks when you had gotten a complex problem right or had the answer we needed, but the sincere, spontaneous ones are still rare and usually come when you're interacting with Ikki or he's retelling a story about the two of you. The best one I think I caught when your parents were here that time... For once, you didn't get embarrassed by their stories and just smiled at them.” 

Ikki nodded. “Your mother really liked that one. She had it framed for her desk at work, and your father had it at his lab. I remember packing them up.”

Kent looked down at his hands. “I am sorry you had to perform that duty for me, Ikkyu.”

Ikki stopped mid-typing and frowned. “You don't have to apologize for that. They were like family for me, too. And you didn't have a choice about where you were or what you were doing. The burns were so bad you were still in isolation then.”

Kent shook his head. “I ate dinner with them and discussed the threats and my plans... and yet... none of us thought the threat was real enough to be worried about... We discussed it, but not in a way that suggested any of us... I didn't even say a proper goodbye to my father. I walked away with my mother as he cleared the table and... I got mad at her. I... Excuse me.”

He rose, leaving the room so fast Sawa needed a moment. She forgot sometimes how fast he could be. When Kokoa collapsed he'd been even faster, and that had been a shock because he didn't seem like he'd be that kind of person at all.

“Ikki,” Kokoa said, “go after him, please.”

“I always give him a minute or two,” Ikki said. “He needs to clear his head and hates people seeing him react emotionally. He finds it humiliating, so... it makes it worse in his mind. It's better if I wait.”

“No, I... I understand that, but I...” 

“You're really worried about him,” Ikki said, giving her a smile. “It's sweet, and I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous. And I understand. It's hard just to stand back and not intervene or say something, and it was worse before, when he just got out of the hospital, but... Ken and I have come to an understanding and I know when to back off and let him be. This is one of those times.”

“It would be nice if you finished whatever it is you think you found before you go after him,” Shin said. “You feel like filling us in?”

“And miss the dramatic reveal?”

“Ikki, I swear—”

“Relax, Shin. It's simple enough. Bad Ukyo uses two names to pay his expenses,” Ikki said. “Watanbe is his mother's surname. And if you want to guess his father's...”

“Damn it.”

* * *

Shin rubbed his head, trying hard to keep his temper in check. On the one hand, the idea was obvious, and yet at the same time, it wasn't. None of them had done much looking into Watanbe before. He was irritating, but not a threat, not that they'd seen, and while that rankled, that they'd missed that, they hadn't seen it so they never looked deep into his records.

“You're kidding,” Toma said. “Bad Ukyo is Eguchi's son? Seriously?”

“Well, I suppose I don't have DNA to compare, but I'm sure with a little more digging someone could probably get that,” Ikki said. “What I have is a double set of books. I told you it was odd—Watanbe's paychecks were split on deposit, but that's not unusual for people who keep savings accounts. What is unusual is that the savings account payed out to a shell company each month. That was a bit of a dead end—there were a few layers of shell companies—until I found Eguchi's name on the board of directors of one of them. I hadn't found any expenses for Watanbe in Kyoto, but there is plenty of activity there for Eguchi.”

Shin grimaced. “So he uses that name when he's moving around in Kyoto. That doesn't prove anything.”

“No, but we're adding another dimension to the motive and his obsession with Kent,” Toma said. “Eguchi did believe his son should have had his job, and we all thought that was just nepotism, but if you think about it—”

“Eguchi might have been aware of the part of his son that's careful enough to get away with all those murders,” Shin said. “And if his father's a forensics expert, he would know a hell of a lot about how to get away with murder.”

“Exactly,” Ikki said. “Though I was thinking about what we said earlier about the staging and the mask and what Ken said about the way he spoke to him versus the one that spoke to Kokoa and us—well, he only laughed at us, but we've already asked the question before—”

“A split personality?” Ukyo asked. “You think he's divided himself into Watanbe and Eguchi, and Eguchi is the careful, hidden side while Watanbe is the side everyone knows?”

“I believe at one point I theorized twins, but dual personalities would perhaps fit better,” Kent said, stopping to lean against the wall and looking nauseous again. “Another case of bending facts to suit a theory, but it could be true... it would explain some of the different behavior as well as our own failure to see him as a threat.”

“Yeah, admittedly, that still bothers me,” Toma said. “All of us and Waka missing it, that's a bit much to believe. And you didn't, not from what we've heard. You were aware of a threat and danger even as you wrote off the yakuza.”

Kent nodded. “It seems that way, yes.”

“He could have more than two personalities—Watanbe, Eguchi, and the demon.”

“The current average is sixteen, but the number supposedly can be into the thousands,” Kent said. “Then again, it's still a controversial diagnosis and many believe that the therapists themselves create the personalities during treatments.”

“Still, it's possible,” Toma said. “If Watanbe was the main personality, he'd show up as the inept idiot we all knew who groveled at Gatou's feet and was a klutz who fell for everything. Then we have another personality, aware of everything Watanbe does or hears, and he could use that without being suspected because no one—”

“No one saw him as a person,” Kokoa interrupted, and Shin looked at her. She swallowed. “He said... that years passed by without anyone ever noticing him. No one saw him as a person until Kent looked into my parents' death.”

“Oh, hell,” Toma said. Shin grimaced. This was making more and more sense, but that didn't mean things were better. They were getting a whole lot worse.

“We already knew the guy was messed up,” Shin said. “This doesn't change that. His lawyer's going to try and argue he's insane—”

“If he makes it to trial, which isn't all that likely,” Ikki said. He caught their looks and shook his head. “I am not saying any of us is planning on killing him or that's what Waka's doing now. I meant that he's... well, he's a prime case for suicide by cop and there's a good chance he wouldn't be found fit to stand trial if we do arrest him.”

“True,” Toma agreed. “The mental ability he showed as Watanbe was probably borderline at best, where some lawyers I know would argue he wasn't mentally competent.”

“That's what he wanted us to see,” Shin said. “Even if it wasn't another personality, he wanted people to think he was an idiot so we wouldn't look at what he was or think he was capable of any of this, but he was and is and we need to stop him.”

“And we will, but we need a bit more and a plan if we're going to,” Toma said. “We still don't have much in the way of proof, and we're going to need something to hold him on because as it stands... a bad lawyer could have him walking out five minutes after we brought him in. My work on the filtering isn't enough, Ikki'll tell you that shell companies are more of a gray area than anything, and we don't even know if we're right about the multiple personalities.”

“That is true. There is another possibility,” Kent said, and Shin almost wanted to hit him for it.

“So we need to—” Shin broke off as a phone interrupted him, making that obnoxious default ring for a text message. “Whose phone is that?”

* * *

Around the room, people started checking pockets. Ikki had his out and checked in seconds, putting it back without another word. Toma patted down his pocket and shook his head. Shin didn't even move, so it wasn't his. Ukyo was surprised to see how fast everyone reacted to that, even the ones who didn't need to look.

“Not mine,” Sawa said. “Or Mine's. Ours kind of burned up with our jobs.”

Kokoa grimaced. “I think mine went up in the warehouse, but I don't know for sure. It wasn't there when I woke up, but that doesn't mean anything. It could be anywhere.”

“Ken's is probably in the pocket of his coat, which is somewhere downstairs,” Ikki said. “You might want to go get it later, even if you haven't really been calling anyone lately.”

Kent grimaced. “Aside from you, the only people who've contacted me are Waka and Shirai.”

“Shirai?” Shin asked, suspicious as ever.

“The useless therapist I am required to meet with on a weekly basis,” Kent answered. “An annoying woman who thinks far too much of feelings and espouses therapies without any proven merit.”

Toma frowned. “You know, if you actually work with the therapist—”

“If you are going to blame my inability to recall this matter on my refusal to work with my therapist, I must point out that you were not present for any of our sessions, nor do you know what I have and have not tried as therapy, and you have no—”

“Easy, Ken,” Ikki said. “Toma had no way of knowing. You don't talk about your therapy—and you don't have to—and I think most people would assume you weren't willing to do anything she said, but I do know better.”

“Really?” Shin asked. “Because I can't see Kent doing anything that involved emotions or unproven methods.”

Kent glared at him. “And after seeing the state of my current existence, you don't think I'd relent on some of my positions to improve in even some small way? I do not want to be like this. I have tired to fix it—and would whoever the hell has that phone silence the damned thing already?”

“Ukyo,” Ikki said, giving Kent a worried look. “It's your phone. Do something about it. Please.”

Ukyo frowned. He patted his pockets, checking each one in turn before sheepishly taking it out and checking it, wincing when he saw the message from Makato. 

_Strong possible match. Need skull for comparison._

“That from the skull guy?”

Ukyo swallowed. “Um... yes. He can't be sure without the skull itself or us running DNA tests on it, but it would seem that Taniguchi may well have been one of the bodies I photographed at the scene.”

“Can't say I'm surprised,” Toma said. “Soon as Kent said it, I figured he was right. Still, there's a lot of other bodies in those fires and—Kent? You about to puke on us again or—”

“I did not attend my required session this week,” Kent said, looking over at Ikki, who grimaced. “I... I do not recall her office contacting me about it, nor did Waka mention it.”

“Well, Waka might have given you a pass with all that's going on, but that's not what you're thinking right now, is it?”

Kent shook his head. “It's an excessive reaction, and I dislike myself for it. If he believed I was dead, then he would not even know of her existence or my visits to her, but if everyone I have interacted with in even a small way is a target—though how he knew about Taniguchi—no, I don't—I am being—I can't think.”

“Ken, please sit back down,” Ikki said, reaching for him only to have Kent pull away from him. “You need to calm down a bit and let your head clear. I'm sure there's an explanation for his choice of Taniguchi, and we can check on Shirai just in case something did happen to her, okay?”

“The Taniguchi thing might just be obvious,” Shin said, looking over at Kokoa. “If he tracked her down again for whatever reason, he could know about her brother's school.”

“You did switch him mid-semester,” Toma agreed. “That's almost a red flag in of itself.”

“We haven't looked into other missing criminals,” Ukyo said, since they'd gotten pretty far from that discussion. “We could do that, too.”

“We can,” Toma said. “And we do need to identify the other victims. There's a chance we can tie Watanbe to one of them if we do.”

“Or the other possibility,” Shin said, looking at Kent. “You care to share that one with us now?”

Kent sighed, crossing over to take his seat again. Ukyo didn't think he'd ever seen Kent this tired or worn down, not in all the time they'd worked together. He seemed capable of lasting past any of the others when it came to a case, but this one was not like the ones they'd worked before.

“Are you sure you shouldn't lie down?” Orion asked. “You look like you're really sick again.”

Kent shook his head. “The symptoms remain the same regardless of what I do.”

“Are we in the second phase?” Ikki asked with a slight frown. “You're looking a bit like we might be, which is almost a good thing because if the second phase is coming this early, you won't have to put up with three days of side effects, but at the same time—”

“I will be unable to remain awake and therefore be completely useless,” Kent said, closing his eyes. “I'm not certain. I still feel nauseous, though that doesn't negate the second phase, just... complicates it.”

Ikki grimaced. “Yeah, I know.”

Orion leaned over to whisper something in his sister's ear, and she nodded. Ukyo frowned as the boy rose and she shifted her position over to free up most of the couch. Orion turned to Kent with a smile. 

“There. Now you can lie down if you need to.”

Kent frowned. “She should have her leg elevated, and I am not—”

“Oh, that's an easy fix,” Ikki said, and Orion nodded, moving to put the ottoman next to the couch. He helped her put her legs up on it, sitting down on the free space. Ikki smiled. “Looks like you're out of excuses, Ken.”

Kent sighed, and Ukyo almost wanted a picture of him resigning himself to it, but he didn't take one, knowing that Kent would not like it. As Ikki said, he did not want to admit to weakness, and this must seem like it to him even if it wasn't.

Though it was unfortunately comical when Kent tried to find a way to position himself on the couch without getting close to Kokoa. The chair wasn't long enough for him in the first place, he was far too tall, but then giving her more space than was necessary made it so that he barely managed to fit his top half.

“This will not work,” Kent said, starting to sit up again. “And I do not need to—”

“Here,” Kokoa said, tugging him toward her and down so that his head was back in her lap. Kent could fit on the couch like that, though Ukyo could see his discomfort. Everyone could. “Now rest.”

Kent shook his head. “We have too much to do to—”

“You're just lying down,” Shin said. “It's fine. Now what about that other possibility?”

“Not twins... not split personality... but father and son?” Kent said, closing his eyes as she started moving her hand along his back again. Ukyo thought it wouldn't take long for him to fall asleep like that, and it was likely for the best.

“Damn, I guess we better start looking into where Eguchi is,” Toma said. “Though I have a feeling that you're about to—”

“Or Eguchi is also a victim in one of the fires,” Kent said, starting to sit up again. Kokoa pushed him back down. “I can't stay like this, and if you do that, I... It seems more likely that I will fall asleep. That would not be useful.”

“You don't have to be useful,” she said, and he frowned at her. She flinched. “That came out wrong. I just meant... you don't have to push yourself to fix this. You've done plenty already, and you can let your team do the rest.”

Ukyo didn't think Kent believed that at all. He didn't say it, though. He didn't think he'd ever won an argument with Kent, and he knew he wouldn't now.

Kent frowned at Kokoa. “How can you even stand to touch me?”

“I told you I said that stuff in anger,” she said, frowning at him. “I never hated you, not really. I was just hurting and said things to drive you away.”

Kent closed his eyes. Ukyo didn't think he believed her. 

“Even if...” Kent grimaced. “My entire back is covered in scars. Can you... actually not feel them through the cloth?”

Her hand stopped for a moment as she hesitated. Ukyo wondered if she was considering lying to him, but that would not be good. Kent would know and dislike it. “No, I can feel them.”

“Then... how is it that doesn't... repulse you?” Kent asked, shuddering. “The nurses in the hospital... none of them wanted to treat my back because of how it looked and you... how can it not bother you? He burned you, and the reminder alone should make you want nothing to do with me.”

She shook her head. “No. He doesn't get to decide that or control either of us like that. That's not—I refuse to give him that. I know I don't actually know what your back looks like, but that doesn't matter to me. People are not just the scars that they carry, even if they help shape them. No one should reject you because of your back—that wasn't your choice—and you are more than that. More than your logic and love of math and the work you do... you're a person, too, and I think I'd like to go give those nurses a piece of my mind. I have a lot of respect for nurses as a profession, it's hard work, but to say that about you? Where you could hear it? That's not right.”

“I do not think it would have been better if I had not heard them.”

“Well, on the one hand, it's better not to have people talking behind your back, at the same time, it's still not something they should have let you hear,” Ikki said. “I don't know. I'd never want to have anyone I knew end up as a patient there again, even if Waka did manage to force them to clean house a bit. The way they treated you was wrong.”

“The way they treated Ikki was wrong,” Toma said, and everyone looked at him. “He was a mess when they brought you in, Kent, probably in shock himself despite not being injured, but they ignored that and left him alone in the waiting room.”

Ukyo nodded. “I was very concerned about Ikki that night as well.”

“So that's why Toma left you behind as my babysitter,” Ikki said, shaking his head. He caught Kent's look and shook his head. “It's not... It was bad when they pulled you out of there. You know that. You weren't breathing, your back was so black I thought it was your coat at first and your leg...”

Kent shuddered, and Kokoa did her best to soothe him. Orion rose, going over to Ikki and giving him a hug. Ikki blinked, startled at first, but then he smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.

Ukyo took another picture.

* * *

Toma gave Kent another glance, knowing it was probably better to let him sleep if they could rather than pushing him now. Waka would return with the painting or just the puzzle soon enough, so they didn't have to keep Kent awake when he felt as bad as he did. Everything about this case and even the stupid, seemingly simple things was hurting him—what the hell was with those nurses, anyway? None of them had been comfortable seeing Kent's injuries, no, but they'd never made him feel like he was deformed or anything because of it. They hadn't wanted to touch him, but that was because it would hurt, not because they were cowards who couldn't handle the sight of a bit of burned flesh.

Idiots. They didn't even know what they'd done in saying that. At least Kokoa didn't feel that way. That would make a real difference—if Kent could accept what she was doing as genuine. He didn't believe her, which was not surprising, between the way they fought, the things she admitted to saying to him, and Kent's lack of self-worth, but it was frustrating all the same.

“Food,” Toma heard himself say, and Shin gave him a look. “We've been at this for a while now, and we could use some lunch. We'll let Kent nap, eat, and regroup a bit. Waka might even be back by then. It makes sense.”

He didn't wait around for Shin to argue with him, knowing full well his brother would, but it wasn't like that would do any good. If they were going to start talking real strategy, they couldn't do it in here with the extra ears. Toma walked down the hall and into the kitchen, going to the refrigerator.

Shin shut the door just as Toma opened it. “The hell are you doing?”

“Oh, please,” Ikki said, leaning against the wall. “That was obvious as hell, and if Ken was awake right now, he'd have seen right through it. I think Kokoa and Orion did, but they stayed behind. She didn't have much choice, but we may not have long before Sawa and Mine join us.”

Toma nodded, making sure Ukyo had followed Ikki in before he started again. “We need to make a plan. We can't sit around here forever.”

Shin grunted, since he'd been saying that all along. He looked back at the doorway. “If this was two years ago, we'd just use Kent as bait.”

Ukyo winced. “We wouldn't—”

“We would, because Ken would say it was the most logical way to handle it and with as little evidence as we have, we'd need the guy to slip up and do something we can arrest him for, but Ken's in no state to do that now. He gets set off by little stuff, and if he came face-to-face with the man that did this to him...”

Toma nodded. That really couldn't happen again. They would lose Kent if it did, even if he lived. “So we need a plan.”

“If Kent's right, this guy wants all of us dead,” Shin said. “That means any one of us could be bait in his place.”

Toma grimaced. “Only problem being that if we're all targets, then how do we protect anyone?”

“Pick the most likely alternative.” Shin looked at Ikki, who folded his arms over his chest, upset. Toma knew that none of them really wanted that role, and no one should have it to begin with, but if what Kokoa remembered was right, this guy had decided Ikki was next.

“Fine,” Ikki said. “We use me. I can live with that, but it needs to be a good plan.”

* * *

“Do you want me to get you some food?” Orion asked. “I could.”

She shook her head, not hungry and not willing to eat over Kent. She also wasn't moving as long as he was resting. He'd been through so much—so had she, she supposed, but it didn't feel like it, not in comparison. Kent had suffered so much more. She'd lost her parents, too, but she hadn't seen them murdered. She'd only known it was murder for a short time, even if it had never made sense that it was an accident. Kent had lived through that attack in a lot of pain, blaming himself for their deaths. And now... he blamed himself even more because he forgot about her parents' case. It wasn't his fault, wasn't intentional, but he was still suffering and blaming himself anyway.

She wished that she could do more to help him. She didn't know how, though.

“You should eat,” Sawa said. “Don't you need to for your medication?”

Kokoa grimaced. She should, but she didn't want to take it right now, and she didn't want to move. “Later. You two go ahead. Orion, you can go with them.”

“Neesan—”

“Please,” she said. “I'll be fine, and you shouldn't wake Kent.”

Orion nodded, though he wasn't happy about it. Sawa gave him a bright smile as she led him out of the room. Mine stopped, looking back at Kokoa and Kent, but she waved her on. They shouldn't wait on her or Kent. She wasn't moving, even if Kent got up, but she hoped that Kent could sleep for a long time. She didn't think he would, stubborn as he'd been so far, but he could use the rest.

She didn't want to admit it, but she liked this, having him here with her, and while she wanted to say it was just about comforting him, this was not like taking care of Orion. He would probably think it was still guilt over the terrible things she'd said, but it wasn't.

She winced, knowing she really needed to talk to him again, alone, but that wasn't going to happen until they'd arrested this killer, and if they did—wouldn't Kent just make them all leave? She sighed, looking down at Kent only to jerk when she saw he was awake and watching her.

“Kent?”

He winced. “It... It didn't seem real for a moment. That is all. I did not mean to stare.”

She flushed. “I... I don't mind.”

He shook his head, and she sighed. Would he ever believe what she said now? She knew she'd made a mistake, saying what she did, but she didn't mean it. She had to find a way to tell him how she really felt, a way he'd accept and believe, not just dismiss or ignore.

He rolled over and stood, and she frowned. 

“You don't have to leave,” she said, and he gave her another look. “I... I do mean it. I don't—you were fine where you were and you still need to rest.”

“If I am to rest, I should do it elsewhere so as not to disturb you, but as it is, I should find my files on this case. I remember telling my parents that I had a copy here. There should be one, and yet I cannot remember seeing it. I only barely allowed Ikkyu into the house, and he never saw it, so I must have done something with it...”

Kent walked away, distracted, and she lowered her head. She knew it was important, but she wanted to call him back. She wanted to have the conversation that she was afraid she wouldn't get to have with him later.

She swallowed, forcing herself up and ignoring the pain in leg as she hurried to the hallway as fast as she could. If he made it downstairs, she wouldn't be able to reach him, and getting the others involved would make it so they didn't talk at all. That wasn't what they needed.

She stopped against the wall, letting out a small cry in spite of herself. That hurt, and she was an idiot, but she hadn't been willing to wait for later.

“What are you doing?”

She turned to see Kent by the door, hand still on the panel beside it even though it was open. “I should ask you that. You said you were looking for your files. You... lied to me.”

“It is true that I should find them,” Kent said. “That part was not a lie.”

Which was the only reason he'd been able to pull it off, wasn't it? She felt sick, since it wasn't like she hadn't known how he felt, how he'd react—he had to atone for what he'd done in forgetting, even if that wasn't his fault at all.

“Don't do this. Don't sacrifice yourself.”

He frowned. “I—there is no reason for you to be concerned—”

“There is,” she insisted. “I know what you think you have to do, and I can't let you. You can't go out there to be bait. Even if you had talked to the others—which you haven't because none of them would agree to this—you can't do this. Kent, I know you blame yourself for what happened to your parents, but it's not your fault. And you can't punish yourself for forgetting. You didn't have a choice in that, either. Even if this seems like the only logical way to make things better after what happened, it isn't. You don't have to do this.”

Kent closed his eyes for a moment. “No matter how many times you or anyone else argues against it, my decisions led to this point, to these actions and those deaths. And if it is true that this man wants me, that he needs to finish what he started, then... I cannot escape the conclusion that one life for many is the better outcome. This will end things without anyone else being collateral damage, and that is how it should be.”

“So he kills you, and everyone is just supposed to be fine letting that happen?”

“I am no great loss, nor will I be missed. I'm disagreeable, logical to a fault, blunt and even... heartless. The solution is simple and has been from the beginning.”

“No,” she insisted, forcing herself to his side despite her leg. She didn't care how much that hurt right now, not when he was about to let his guilt destroy him. And he thought he was heartless? This was a far more emotional reaction than he realized. “I won't let you do this.”

“Why would you even want to stop me?” 

She almost lost her own nerve when she saw the anguish in his eyes, but she couldn't let this go on. “You are _not_ an unfeeling monster. You're not someone who doesn't have emotions or a heart. You are a living, breathing man, and you have flaws, yes, but we all do. I have plenty. I know that, and yet my pride... I never want to admit to them, but... this isn't even about that. Kent, it doesn't matter how smart you are. You can't predict everything. You may be good at considering most of the variables and the evidence and the bigger picture, but that doesn't mean you can always do it perfectly. No one could. Not even a machine, and you are not a machine. You may have made a mistake, several maybe during this case and after... but you are _allowed_ to make mistakes. It doesn't matter how high the stakes are or how smart you are or how many people rely on you— _you are still human._ You can't hold yourself to some impossible standard, and no one else should, either. It's not logical, is it? Expecting someone to be perfect?”

He shook his head. “I don't expect perfection. You are correct—it _is_ illogical, but I... as illogical as it is, I still feel that I should have been able to see it. To stop it. Or at least to remember it so that this... how could I forget? Even if I wanted to try and erase every moment with you from my mind, it was impossible...”

He lowered his head again, trembling slightly, and she swallowed, not sure how to react to that. A part of her was afraid of what he might be saying with that, and another part of her wanted to believe it was true.

“Kent...”

He flinched, starting out the doorway. “I didn't—I have disgraced myself again and I—I should—”

“No, I—that's not it,” she said, not wanting him to feel even more guilt than he already did, still needing to stop him. She caught him outside the door, forced to use him to keep herself on her feet. “I was just... I had two thoughts warring in my head, and I couldn't find the right words because I don't even know how I—I can't let you go when I'm responsible for all this. Not you. Me. And I can't lose you over this. I can't—”

“All you did was ask for an answer you weren't given before,” Kent said, his face still betraying how upset he was. She thought he'd run now if he had half a chance, stopped only because she was clinging to him. “If they had told you the theory about your parents, you... you would have gone after the man they said was Orion's father... he was still a suspect to my mind so I... I was going to have Ikkyu watch over you as you didn't want me there. I... It seemed ideal. Your brother liked the show, and Ikkyu would certainly like you and flirt with you and you would like him in return as people always do with him... You would never have to know you were being watched over, but you'd be safe. You'd never have to see me again just as you wanted and it was—”

“Please don't tell me you did it all like this so it would all fall on you,” she whispered, and he looked at her with a frown. She winced. “You _did,_ didn't you? I pushed you too far that night because I was hurting, and you thought it wouldn't matter if he went after you... You set all those things in place so that if something happened to you, your team could finish it, but you didn't... you didn't believe it mattered what happened to you.”

Kent's silence to that was answer enough. What had she done? This was all her fault, and she couldn't make it better, not with words. Not even with actions. She didn't know how.

“I was a coward,” she forced herself to say. “I never said it before because... I was too proud and too ashamed and unwilling to admit to what I felt, but I... I care about you. I have for a lot longer than I ever said or showed. I'm not the only one. Your whole team cares about you, and even though Orion just met you, he does, too. And Sawa and Mine... You matter, Kent, so much more than you know.”

He started to shake his head again, and she knew she had to do something more to convince him, but she thought she might push him away more if she did and she didn't want to risk that. Not now.

“Oh, isn't that sweet?” another voice asked, and she froze in fear, aware of Kent tensing up next to her. This wasn't one of his friends teasing them—oh, she would so much rather that was Ikki's voice even if it would have been embarrassing. Instead, she could only shudder as she heard that sick, evil laughter from before. “I must say, you make a surprising but rather fitting couple.”

She swallowed, shaking, afraid to turn around to face him.

“I told you before, Kent. There is so much more I can take from you. Starting, of course, with her.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kent faces trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was very worried, trying to find the right balance between reaching an ending and making sure that everything I built up to was worth it, since as much as it might be nice to end it with one confrontation between Kent and the killer, that feels rushed and not worth all the trouble getting here. So I tried it this way.
> 
> I have been doing a lot of debating over signing up for Yuletide and offering things, but I don't know that I can write what anyone wants, so... that may not happen, even though I nominated Amnesia and Code Realize in good faith hoping to find someone else who wanted more fic like I do to be matched up with.

* * *

_“And I told you—there is so much more I can take from you,” the other man said in Kent's ear. “So far I have only burned your back, but what about your face? I know you have poor eyesight, but I could make you blind here and now, take that from you with flame.”_

_Kent closed his eyes. He could live with blindness. He knew that. He'd considered it multiple times, almost every time he had his vision examined, actually. He believed he could adapt._

_“Not scared of that, are you? I suppose you wouldn't be. All that you need is your mind, isn't it?” He laughed. “Oh, but what good is that mind without a way to express itself? What if I burned your throat so badly you couldn't talk? Or I could move this flame down your arm and take your hand, too.”_

_“Whatever you plan... to do... I can do nothing... stop it... I should much... rather you stop discussing it. It does nothing... to increase... my fear.”_

_“Yes, you are so much stronger than that. Not immune, not as much as everyone says—you were scared for her. And sad about the actor.” He yanked on Kent's hair and pulled his head back. “You fascinate me. I wouldn't have thought you'd care at all, that this was all about duty, meeting your parents for dinner, but you tried to save her...”_

_Kent could not look at his mother, could not face her. He'd failed her. He hadn't saved her, not with words or actions. This man, this demon—he wore that mask, he wanted to be see that way—he had killed Kent's mother without any hesitation. Kent couldn't stop it. Couldn't save her._

_“I've upset you. Here I was planning all these remarks about what I'd do, about taking every inch of your skin and marring your face, crippling you in so many ways, but it's not that at all with you. You don't care what I do to you, do you?”_

_“The amount of pain... says I do,” Kent disagreed, “but if that... is all you have... then simply end it... no more speeches... games. Just kill me.”_

_“I can't do that. Not when we're just getting started. I have so many things I can do, so many that I want to do... I want to see that pain, some tears... I'd like to hear you beg, too, and when I think of all I can do...”_

_He put a hand on Kent's side, and Kent shuddered, knowing that he could still end up burned on that side as well. He wasn't afraid of it, but the pain was already more than he should have been able to bear. He did not want to feel more. He wanted to end this._

_“I can't wait to do it all. To take it all from you. Everything you have.”_

* * *

“We haven't seen any sign that he'd go so far as to undress you if he did get hold of you,” Toma said, and Ikki grimaced, really not wanting to hear that. He didn't want to think about this guy being that kind of a pervert, not at all. It put a bad light on what he'd done to Ken, for one thing, but it made Ikki uncomfortable as hell about the role he'd just agreed to. “So we should be able to get a tracking device on you somewhere. He knows us, so he'd know we'd try it, so we can probably leave him one or two to find and have a couple backups in places he won't think to look.”

“I like having backups,” Ikki said, since the idea of one of them failing was not the least bit okay with him. “The one problem being that anyone who walks out the door is in danger, and Ken doesn't have all that equipment here. That's not part of his paranoia. Actually, kind of the opposite... he was stressed by the idea of video cameras everywhere in the house and... well...”

“I had thought some of the decorations were different or moved,” Ukyo said, grimacing. “Though I had thought it was for a less upsetting reason, like he just felt the need to change it now that he was home more than before.”

Ikki would much rather it was that, too, but he'd seen the damage Ken did to his room. That was a little different, since it hadn't been intended as a bedroom but as part of the vault, so there might well have been cameras in there, but Ken had been unable to sleep until he was sure they were gone. Ikki didn't want to think about that too much. He hated seeing Ken feeling so out of control—and Ken hated knowing that Ikki had seen it—and he'd messed up his leg's recovery pretty good, too.

He was even more stubborn about walking around on it than Kokoa had been in the last couple days, and Ikki had been tempted to use the pills so often in those early days. He did his best to avoid it now, but back then, he'd thought it was better, forcing Ken to get some rest over none, especially when he was like that.

_“I can't do this if someone's watching me, Ikkyu. If they're watching...” Ken slumped to the floor, misery all over him. Ikki couldn't remember where he'd last had his glasses, and they might even be broken after all this. Ken ran his hands through his hair like he wanted to pull it out, looking up at him. “It is irrational. I hear myself say these things, and I know I feel them, but they are irrational, and I want them to stop... but I can't stop them. I hear those messages I ignored, the ones that said they were watching me... stalking me... No one should have been able to get in here, but that doesn't matter. I can tell myself over and over that no one has control of any video cameras here if they even exist, but I can't stop myself from looking for them anyway. Even my leg isn't stopping me. It hurts, but I won't stop. Can't. It is... infuriating. Humiliating. This... It is not me.”_

_Ikki sat down next to him. “You're different now. You can't go through something like that and not change at least a little. That's not how it works.”_

_Ken shook his head. “That is not enough of a reason for me. This is not right. I cannot function like this, and when my brain starts to consider what I should do if that is true—”_

_“It'll get better,” Ikki said, not willing to go down that road. Ken would get better. This was temporary. Ken just needed time._

“Focus,” Shin almost snapped. “We don't have a lot of time to do this. Someone will interrupt us.”

“We don't want to rush it, either. We need to have a solid plan, not one that hangs anyone out to dry,” Toma said. “As much as we want to end this, we are not going to do something half-assed that gets Ikki killed or hurt.”

“Thank you,” Ikki said, not exactly comforted, even if he still agreed he was the better choice for this. He was not letting it be Ken, not again. This had to be something that would lure Watanbe out, so it had to look good, but it also had to be safe so he couldn't get at anyone they were trying to protect. “So what we need is—hello, ladies.”

Their eyes got wide in a comical way, and he thought he rather liked that about them both. “Oh, sorry. Did we interrupt something?”

“Nothing important,” Ikki said with a smile. “We were just discussing who else might have been at one of the fires. Not really a discussion you want to hear. You didn't miss anything.”

“And we have all sorts of goodies in here still,” Toma said, pulling out a couple of containers. Ikki recognized one of the dishes and forced himself not to say anything about it. Ken was not very good at that one, couldn't get the ratio right despite the recipe, but they didn't have to know that. Still, that was why there was plenty of it left, enough to feed a whole group and not just one or two. “Go ahead and sit down. I'll start heating these up for everyone.”

“We could do some of that,” Sawa said. “Really. I wouldn't mind being able to do something. Anything.”

“Only not cooking,” Mine said. “Sawa, no. You almost gave that guy at work food poisoning. No cooking.”

“It's just reheating,” Sawa protested, upset, and Ikki laughed. She was rather cute when she pouted, even cuter than Mine.

“It's fine. I used to do this all the time when I worked at a cafe in college,” Toma said. “Nothing there was made fresh, all prepared before and reheated, so I'm used to it.”

“You sure you didn't work for the same cafe?” Mine asked. “That's how we do a lot of our food.”

“You shouldn't tell them that. No one will come back to eat there.”

“Kind of hard to do when it burned down,” Shin reminded them, and Sawa grimaced. “What the hell is wrong with that, Toma?”

“Hmm,” Toma said, looking over the food. “On second thought, let's pick another dish.”

“Sometimes it tastes better than it looks,” Ikki offered, which just got him a glare. He shrugged, turning to their other guest. “Something wrong, Orion?”

“No, I was just going to see if I could get some food for Neesan. She said she wasn't hungry, but she needs her medication again, and she shouldn't move, even if Kent wakes up.”

“Ah, yes,” Ikki agreed. “You know what, let me handle that. I'll go ahead and warm something for her, and when I take it to her, I'll check on her bandages, too. I want to see how her leg is doing today.”

Orion frowned. “Do you think it's really bad? She didn't seem to notice it when she woke up, but she was really scared. So scared she...”

“She?” Shin prompted, never one to let those things slide.

“She grabbed hold of Kent and held onto him.”

“Oh, now this is news,” Ikki said, and Shin reached over to hit him. “Hey, that wasn't necessary. I am perfectly capable of thinking about potential victims while I consider all the possible ways I can tease Ken about this.”

“I don't think you should tease either of them,” Orion said, and Ikki looked at him. “They were both really upset when it happened, even if Kent did try and comfort her some, and it was kind of embarrassing for both of them, so... teasing's not right.”

“There you go,” Toma said. “From the mouth of babes and all.”

“Shut up, Toma,” Shin said. “Did she mention anything else from that dream we should know about? Or was that it?”

“She didn't say much,” Orion said. “She told you about it, mostly. He'd told her Kent was dead, and that guy wanted that thing from her, the one he thought Kent gave her... he wore a mask, had evil eyes... that was what she said... same as what she told you. Did you think she lied about it or something?”

“No, but she leaves stuff out sometimes, and it could be important.”

* * *

Threats were only words. Kent knew that, even if this man had come through on his threats before, and so logic said that there was no reason for any excess fear, certainly not any that would debilitate him. Yet hearing that voice threaten her sent an unnatural wave of fear through Kent, and he felt himself near panic again. He hated this feeling. He could not allow himself to give into it. He knew that. If he did, he lost everything.

Again.

No. While he could not claim that she was his in any sense of the word, he also knew that he could not allow anything to happen to her. He could not lose to this man again.

He stood in the proper position, in between Watanbe and Kokoa in such a way that the only way to her was through him, though that was not protection enough. He was not so foolish as to think that it would last if he died or was in some way incapacitated. He needed more than a simple obstacle.

Getting her back inside would ensure her safety, of course, but the panel was on the opposite side of the door from where he stood, and the code needed required multiple buttons to be pushed and took time to enter. That would expose him or Kokoa to whatever Watanbe might do, and if he failed to enter it correctly—which was possible, even likely should Watanbe attack him or her while he attempted to do it—too many times, the system would lock them out—and everyone inside in.

Ikkyu could overcome that in time, but time was what they lacked. While Kent did believe the man would want to keep torturing him, he would not spend much time on Kokoa or any of the others. His attack on the cafe showed that he did not always have to have the fanfare so long as he achieved his goal as well as just how far unbalanced he'd become. He'd lost the meticulous control that had kept him hidden for so long. That made him more dangerous.

“You won't touch her.”

“Kent,” Kokoa said, putting her hand on his arm. “Don't sacrifice yourself for me. Not for anyone.”

“Oh, if I had known how you felt about her, I'd have done so much more than I already did,” Watanbe said with a cruel smile. “I don't share. This is between you and me, no one else.”

“I wasn't the one who involved others in it,” Kent said. “You did. You killed my parents. You went after my team. You murdered civilians to draw them out. Involving others was your decision. I would have preferred a direct confrontation.”

“You think you can beat me?”

Kent was not certain. While he had height and possibly weight as potential leverage, he was still at a disadvantage because of his unpredictable emotional stability and the side effects from the drugs he'd been forced to take last night. “Our contest was never one based on physical prowess, nor were you ever one who wanted a level playing field in that sense. Your victims were chosen because you could easily overcome them, not because you wanted a challenge.”

Watanbe frowned. “Are you criticizing my choices?”

“It sounds like you're nothing but a bully and a coward,” Kokoa said with far more boldness than she should have. “You hid your crimes because you were afraid of paying for them and you never picked on anyone who could really fight back. Not my parents. Not Kent's. What you did to them—that was really cowardly. And you weren't smart to cover up your crime by using the yakuza—you were afraid. Afraid that if Kent found you, it was all over. So you twisted it and you blamed him, but you're the one at fault.”

“You are so ignorant you don't even know what you're talking about,” Watanbe said, glaring at her. She'd angered him, and Kent knew that would make it worse for her if he got near her. That could not happen, but Kent could not think of a good way to keep her safe.

If he had stayed inside the house... He hadn't expected her to follow him, that was true, but if he hadn't come outside, she wouldn't have followed. She'd be safe. Yet again he had made a mistake that someone else would pay for.

“You're saying that because I'm right,” she said. “And pouting like a child, too.”

“Are you trying to provoke him?” Kent asked, frowning. She needed to stop if she was. This was not a situation where provocation would do them any good. Watanbe was already unbalanced. Pushing him further would achieve little, if anything at all.

Still, there was a small chance that if they stalled long enough, the others would notice their absence or Waka would return before Watanbe could make a move. This area was not entirely secluded, either. Others could pass by, though given the hour it was unlikely. Kent considered stalling the best plan at the moment, but he had no reason to believe it would work. Having to depend on others was a variable he'd never liked, and he preferred to take it out of the equation.

As he had done before, keeping this case from his team, though if he had known for certain it was Watanbe behind the killings, he knew he would have said something.

“I don't care what she thinks,” Watanbe said. “The only one who matters is you, Kent.”

“Not Waka?” Kent asked, frowning a little. “I'd have thought that with his skills he'd be a candidate as well. People seem to think we are rather... similar in nature.”

“Waka didn't notice me. You did. No one else saw me at all.”

“That is an erroneous statement,” Kent said, his voice much calmer than he was. He still felt a sense of panic that he could not protect Kokoa or get her away from this man. “Everyone is aware of you as Gatou's assistant. Your ineptitude and obsequiousness made it impossible not to notice you.”

“No, only you saw the true me. This me. The me drenched in blood and made of fire and fury. This is me, the me I want to be.”

“You're sick,” Kokoa said, which made him laugh, sounding much more like the deranged voice on the tape Toma had played for them earlier.

“You still don't understand, and I really don't see the point in talking to you,” Watanbe said. “After all, this is between us, isn't it, Kent? I might even be generous. If you come with me, I will spare her.”

“Don't,” she said. “He's lying. He has to be, and if you go with him, he'll kill you.”

“Oh, that's inevitable,” Watanbe said. “Your death, though... that might not be, not if Kent does what I ask.”

Kent thought it was unlikely that Watanbe was telling the truth about sparing her. She was already a victim, and she needed to die for his cycle to be complete, which meant that he wouldn't leave her alone for long, even if he didn't act against her now.

“Don't,” she said, tightening her grip on Kent's arm. “Please, don't. He won't spare either of us, and I don't want you getting hurt for me.”

“You really are irritating,” Watanbe said, glaring at her. “Well, we can fix that. After all, I happen to know that you really shouldn't be standing on that leg.”

He moved forward, and Kent stepped in to block him, trying to make sure he could not get near her. Still, it forced her to take a step back, and she must have stumbled, the unexpected movement reminding her body of its weakness. She cried out, and Kent turned back to see her up against the house like she'd fallen there. She held her hand over her leg, where blood was already seeping through the cloth covering her knee. The stitches. She must have pulled them with all the walking she'd done, those stairs in particular, and standing out here with him hadn't helped, either.

Watanbe grabbed hold of Kent, yanking him backward as he stabbed something into his side. Kent threw his head back and felt it connect hard with the man behind him. Watanbe's hold faltered, and Kent shoved him off, stumbling back toward where she was.

He winced and looked at his side, confused by the lack of obvious damage. No real tear, no blood, but he'd felt something sharp.

A needle. Drugs. When those took effect, he'd be useless. Not that he felt like he'd done much, and his head ached because of what he'd done to free himself. He forced himself to focus on Watanbe again. The other man was watching him with a strange smile on his face.

“You're still so defiant. This is even more fun than last time.”

Kent did not consider this fun by any stretch of the imagination. He was still in between Watanbe and Kokoa, but that didn't help matters much. She was not likely to be able to defend herself, and Kent didn't know how long he'd be capable of anything after being drugged.

He grimaced. “The day Orion was born multiplied twice.”

“What are you muttering about?” Watanbe asked, frowning. “Oh. Never mind. The drugs are working, aren't they? Good. We really do need to finish this somewhere else. I'll just deal with her, and we'll get going.”

* * *

“Ikki, if you're heating up food for the girl, do it now,” Shin said, wanting to get back to their plan. They could leave the others in here to eat and go down to Kent's lab or something to finish, but he wanted to get things started already. This had gone on for too long as it was, with two years lost to Kent's injuries and memory problems, and Shin refused to sit around this house another day waiting for something to happen.

They were finishing this plan and dealing with this guy today. Shin knew they could do it. They needed proof it was Watanbe, but that would come as soon as they had their bait in place. Ikki could get the guy talking, and Shin trusted him to be able to defend himself if he was taken. Ikki could do it. Shin would rather do it himself, but he knew that he wasn't as good a target as Ikki was. Everyone knew that they were friends, close enough to consider each other family. Thanks to Ikki's former career, complete strangers knew that, and Watanbe wasn't a stranger to any of them.

“Maybe we should have put you in charge and not Kent,” Toma said, shaking his head. “You're a harsher taskmaster than he ever was.”

“Shut up.”

Toma just smirked at him. Ikki laughed. Shin shook his head, seeing the two women duck their heads like they'd been amused but were trying to hide it. He didn't care about that that. He wanted to finish this.

“Forget it,” Shin said. “I'll just go down to the lab and wait for you idiots to finish eating.”

“You should eat, too,” Toma said. “Not only has it been a while since the last time we had anything, but we don't know when we'll get to eat again once we really get started, so you may as well do it now like the rest of us.”

Shin did not want to agree to that, but he didn't have a good reason not to, not in front of the people they didn't want knowing more than they already did. He didn't even want to think about the argument they'd have if they tried to keep the women calm about putting Ikki at risk.

“Ikki!”

The scream had Ikki moving before anyone else could, pushing past everyone on his way out the door. Shin followed him a moment later, knowing that hadn't come from either of the women in the kitchen. He rushed into the hallway, frowning when he saw the woman on the floor in front of the door. A small streak of red trailed from the outside in through the open doorway.

The hell? Had she really been stupid enough to go outdoors? Why?

Ikki knelt down next to her. “Damn it, I knew that you'd pulled a stitch, but this is way worse than I thought—”

“Not me,” she said, trying to push his hand away from the wound on her leg. That was one hell of a nasty mess. Shin didn't want to look at that, so he went to door, aware that Toma was checking the other room behind him. “I'm fine. You have to help—”

“You shouldn't have been walking on this,” Ikki chided. “I don't know why you would do that. You shouldn't have been on your feet—Tell me you and Ken didn't fight again. If this is because he was being—”

“Ikki, Kent's out there.”

“What?”

Shin's eyes went out to blood trail and then out to the street, which seemed quieter than usual. That couldn't be right. What the hell was Kent doing outside? Shin would say she had to be wrong about that, but he didn't think she was. 

“There's no one here.”

“He has him,” she whispered. “He has Kent.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kent gets taken. The others react.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had such a hard time with this part. Part was trying to get the action right, the rest was trying to get the emotional tone right. I knew I wanted to do the part with Ikki, but I couldn't get that to go how I wanted, either.
> 
> So I ended up with this.

* * *

“Don't,” she said, squeezing Kent's arm, hoping he'd listen to her even though he'd been about to sacrifice himself for everyone a minute ago. She couldn't let him do it. She knew it wouldn't save her, and even if it did, she'd never forgive herself if something happened to him. “Please, don't. He won't spare either of us, and I don't want you getting hurt for me.”

The man glared at her, no less frightening without his demon mask than he was terrifying with it. His eyes were even colder, like he had no humanity left in him. “You really are irritating. Well, we can fix that. After all, I happen to know that you really shouldn't be standing on that leg.”

He was right—it already hurt—but then he lunged for her. She backed up, needing to get out of Kent's way, and as soon as she did, her leg went out from under her. She fell, hitting the house as she did, and she cried out. She bit down on her lip to stop herself, but she couldn't help worrying when she felt something on her leg, thinking it must be blood. She covered her leg with her hand. Pressure might stop it, and that could be good.

She saw him grab hold of Kent, pulling him backward and he stabbing a long and thin bit of metal into his side. She thought maybe it was a needle from a syringe, but she wasn't sure. Kent knocked his head back into the other man, making him stumble, and Kent forced him the rest of the way off before falling down closer to her.

She watched him check his side, hoping he was still okay. The other man sat, watching them with a creepy smile. She tried not to shudder. What had he done to Kent?

“You're still so defiant. This is even more fun than last time.”

He was so sick. This wasn't fun. Not at all.

Kent grimaced, sounding like he had to force the words out. “The day Orion was born multiplied twice.”

What? Why did Orion's birthdate matter? Why would Kent say that? How did he even know it? Well, no, she knew why he'd know it, but why had he remembered it?

“What are you muttering about?”

She wanted to know, too, since Kent wouldn't say it now if it wasn't important. She had to think. She had to—Oh. The code. The security code for the door. He'd just given it to her, hadn't he? She eyed the panel, knowing she had to get to it. If she could get it open, they'd both be safe.

“Oh. Never mind. The drugs are working, aren't they?” The killer smiled again, making her want to puke. “Good. We really do need to finish this somewhere else. I'll just deal with her, and we'll get going.”

He came toward her again, and she forced herself to move, scrambling toward the side along the building. He caught her foot, yanking on her bad leg, and she screamed, trapped as he loomed over her, a knife in his hand. She felt a sharp pain in her side as she tried to get him off. Kent grabbed him, pulling him off, and she shuddered.

She crawled over to the keypad, hoping Kent would be okay while she did this. She could hear grunting from the two men, but Kent hadn't cried out so maybe he wasn't hurt. She didn't want him hurt. She forced her eyes to the keypad, hoping she could do this math in her head.

Her finger slipped on the button, spreading red over the keys, and she winced, reentering the code. She got it right that time, and the door opened. She dragged herself toward the door, her leg killing her even without any weight on it. 

She stopped, needing a moment to breathe, her world going a little dark on her for a second.

* * *

Kent couldn't identify the drugs he'd been given immediately, not familiar enough with their effects to be sure of any of them, and it didn't help that he was still dealing with the side effects of the ones Ikkyu had given him the night before. He couldn't be sure which of his symptoms were from which drugs, but that really didn't matter. The important thing was keeping Kokoa safe.

He'd given her a code—not the main one that closed within a minute, he'd been afraid she wouldn't make it, but one of the others. He'd done it indirectly, knowing that even Watanbe in this delusional state would have known what it was he was doing, but instead he just thought it was jibberish. Kent could only hope that she understood it because if she didn't, this would end badly for them both.

As it was, he might be able to save her.

That was all he wanted now, all that mattered. He knew it was possible he was already dead, depending on what he'd been given. Watanbe had no intention of letting him live, even if he wanted to play out some kind of game and continue his torture. A slow acting poison wouldn't be impossible.

No, Kent's life was forfeit, had been since he first came across Watanbe's case and failed to solve it. His theories weren't enough, and his actions had fallen far short of what they should have been. If he had turned the case over at all, he might have stopped this, but he hadn't. His parents were killed, many others were murdered, and the team was threatened. If Kent had done things properly, most of them would be alive and safe now.

He could not save them, could not undo that mistake, but he could see to it that it ended now. If he made sure Kokoa survived, the others would find and arrest Watanbe. He wouldn't escape them for long. They wouldn't stop until they had him.

That was enough, he supposed. It made facing what he knew was coming that much easier.

He saw Watanbe move toward her, faster than Kent was prepared for, or maybe it was the drugs making him slow, but he couldn't stop Watanbe before he'd grabbed hold of her leg. He heard her scream, and he flinched. That sound was one he wouldn't forget, even if he wasn't going to live long.

Kent yanked Watanbe off of her, pulling him back as hard as he could. Watanbe twisted around, and something sharp grazed Kent's side. The cut stung, and Kent gritted his teeth as he continued to struggle with Watanbe for control of the knife.

He thought he saw Kokoa move toward the keypad, but he couldn't be sure, not without his glasses, not with Watanbe blocking most of his vision. Logic told Kent he couldn't let himself be distracted by her movements as long as she wasn't in the middle of this, but he was unfocused anyway. Between the drugs and his irrational need to see her safe, he couldn't keep his mind on his own struggle.

Illogical. Stupid, even.

He heard the door open just as Watanbe wedged the blade into his arm, and he bit back a cry, not wanting to stop her from getting inside if she could. If Watanbe followed typical patterns, he'd be upset by Kent's lack of reaction and not notice her actions. That was the best outcome, if it was possible.

“You still have such a high tolerance for pain,” Watanbe said in his ear, and Kent shuddered against his will. He didn't want to react, but this was too much like the past, too close to everything that sent him spiraling into a fugue. He didn't even know how he was still in the present now.

“And you're still a fool,” Kent said. “Attacking in daylight, in front of a house full of security measures... you've given them everything they need against you... and they will not stop hunting you.”

Watanbe frowned, looking back for Kokoa, but she had managed to get herself inside the house, and the door had already shut behind her.

“You've already lost,” Kent told him, though he knew his words were stronger than he was, since his body was both heavy and impossible to feel. He couldn't move, and he was sure his eyes would close against his will at any moment.

“No,” Watanbe said. “She'll still die. And you... you're coming with me.”

* * *

She shook herself back to awareness. She was fine. She hurt, but she'd be okay. She was more worried about Kent. She had to get to him, had to get him help. She looked at the door. It was already shut, no point in calling out to Kent. That wouldn't help anyone. No, she had to get someone else.

“Ikki!”

She heard footsteps pounding into the hall, so she looked back as Ikki and the others ran toward her. Ikki dropped down next to her. “Damn it, I knew that you'd pulled a stitch, but this is way worse than I thought—”

“Not me,” she said. She didn't want him bothering with her leg right now. She was okay. She'd make it. “I'm fine. You have to help—”

“You shouldn't have been walking on this.,” Ikki told. “I don't know why you would do that. You shouldn't have been on your feet—Tell me you and Ken didn't fight again. If this is because he was being—”

“Ikki, Kent's out there.”

“What?” She could hear the horror in Ikki's voice, the fear, and he did rise like he was about to leave her, but Shin was already blocking the door, looking out at the street.

No, this couldn't be right. Had she been out for longer than she thought? How long had that moment cost her? Her heart sank. She swore it shouldn't be possible, but she knew what Shin was going to say.

“There's no one here.”

“He has him,” she whispered. “He has Kent.”

“No,” Toma said, going to join the others. Ikki ran past him, out into the street. She couldn't see him anymore, not from where she was. “Not possible. We weren't gone that long. He was asleep. How the hell did he get outside?”

“He said he was going to go look for his files,” she said, her side throbbing now as badly as her leg. “So I... I didn't stop him at first, but then I... I wanted to talk to him in private, but he was already at the door and... I tried to stop him.”

“Idiot,” Shin muttered. “What the hell did he think he was doing?” 

“He was going to do it to save everyone,” she said, and Shin balled a fist. “I knew he would... He had to... lure that man... he didn't see any other way of making up for forgetting—”

“Damn it,” Shin said, and then he was off running, too. She thought he'd gone the other direction from Ikki, but she didn't know for sure. She couldn't see anything past the door.

Toma looked back at Ukyo. “Keep them inside. Keep them safe.”

“Toma,” she called out to him, knowing she had to tell him more. “Kent... he tried to stop him from hurting me... but that man... he got Kent. He... he stabbed Kent in the side with something. I think it was a needle. I think he drugged Kent. And... he has a knife, too...”

Toma swore under his breath and left. Ukyo sighed, showing just how worried he was to everyone. Orion came over to her and hugged her, holding onto her.

She held onto him, closing her eyes and giving into the pain.

* * *

“Neesan?” Orion asked, feeling her slump against him, and he tried not to overreact—she had to be tired. She could just be resting, and she'd been through so much, but he'd seen the blood, and he was scared anyway. “Please wake up.”

She didn't stir. Ukyo knelt next to her, touching her arm, and when he did, it fell back from her side, showing another spot of blood, darker and worse than the one on her leg. Orion swallowed, feeling sick and not knowing what to do.

“Mine,” Sawa said, “Go into the kitchen and get any towels you can find. Fill a bowl with hot water and get a rag.”

Mine nodded, rushing off to do what Sawa told her to do. He heard a clatter in the kitchen, but he wasn't about to leave Neesan to help her. He just... couldn't. 

“Orion, you just sit there and hold her, okay?” Sawa said. “Don't leave her. You know she won't leave you if she knows you're near. You stay there and talk to her.”

Orion nodded, combing through Neesan's hair. He hoped Sawa was right about that. Neesan wouldn't leave him by choice, and he didn't think that she wanted to give up, but did she have a choice? What if she was really, really hurt now?

“I'll call an ambulance,” Ukyo said, taking out his phone and pushing a button as he walked away. Orion thought he heard him giving them a bunch of numbers, but he wasn't sure.

Sawa started pacing, worried. “There has to be more we can do. I just don't know what to do. Mine's got the towels and the water and... he's making the call. I need something to do.”

Orion understood how she felt. He was a bit in the same place, since he couldn't do much more than hold onto Neesan and hope. He was worried about her and about Kent, and he wanted to ask someone if it was going to be okay, wanted some way of making it okay, but he didn't have one, didn't know if there even was one. 

“Maybe you could find one of the others?” Orion asked, not sure if that was right, either. Toma had told them to stay inside.

Sawa grimaced. “They'll be mad if I go out, but... They weren't sure he was working with his father. And she didn't say there were two of them. That means that... it was just him, right? And if he had hold of Kent... There's no way he could hurt anyone else.”

Orion supposed that was right, since it was a struggle for Ikki to manage Kent, same with Shin that once, and they were strong guys. He figured it was because Kent was so tall. Carrying him had to be awkward, and it had been hard at times for them to manage Neesan. She was a lot smaller and less heavy.

“Only who will take care of Neesan?” Orion asked. “When Mine gets back with the stuff you asked for—can she really do it?”

“Orion, she's not that bad.”

He shrugged. Of the two of them, Sawa had always seemed the more responsible one, and that didn't even say much because they were always so loud and noisy and talking about guys. Kent said they couldn't do basic math, either. Orion would rather have Ikki take care of her, and if not Ikki, then Kent or Sawa. Kent wasn't here, so that left Sawa unless she did go find Ikki, but he was busy now, too.

“You do it, Sawa,” he said. “I trust you. So does Neesan.”

* * *

Shin ran down the block, giving the intersection a glance before taking the path to his left. He didn't see anything, but then he didn't expect to, not when Ikki had already gone in the most likely direction. The best place for Watanbe to have parked was up around the other corner from Kent's house. The car wouldn't be seen, but it would be close enough for someone who wanted to get away fast. Watanbe would have had to do it that way to make getting away from them possible.

What bothered Shin more was that Kent's security system hadn't given them any warning about him being outside. How had it missed Watanbe?

He'd be on camera, had to be, since Kent had those in place, so they had Watanbe on video for everything he'd done, but damn it, why hadn't an alarm gone off? Why had they not known that Kent was under attack?

Damn it, they were in the middle of making a plan. Why the hell had Kent gone off on his own?

Shin shook his head, forcing himself not to think about it. That would only make him angry, and while he could always use his anger to run faster, he was already running fast enough. The few people outside were giving him odd looks for being in such a hurry. Watanbe dragging Kent through here would have gotten noticed.

No one seemed concerned, though. They definitely hadn't come this way.

He reached the end of the block and turned, making his way over to where Ikki was standing, eyes on the distance.

“Ikki.”

“I heard a car, but by the time I got here, it was already out of sight,” Ikki said, balling a hand into a fist. “Damn it.”

Shin nodded. They hadn't missed Watanbe by much, but it was still enough. He took out his phone, contacting dispatch. “I'll have them flag his car.”

Ikki sighed. “He has one in each name.”

Shin frowned. Since when did Watanbe have that kind of money? Was there some family inheritance involved or what? “You're sure? You saw that in his financial records?”

“Yes.”

“Then we'll flag both of the cars,” Shin said. “We won't let him get far.”

Ikki snorted. “He's on the move. We're not. And if this guy is as good at covering his tracks as he seems to be, then he didn't use any vehicle registered to him.”

Toma ran up to them, stopping short. He panted as he caught his breath. “Went around the other block. Nothing there. You see anything?”

“Heard a car. Probably the one he's using, but it was too late to see it and confirm,” Ikki said, shaking his head. He was pulling a Kent, acting too calm about all of this, and Shin knew that wasn't going to last.

“I'll get dispatch on it,” Shin said. He turned to Toma. “You think you can handle the cameras?”

“The ones at Kent's place? That even you could do despite your dislike for computers,” Toma said, frowning. “You know that.”

“Don't be stupid,” Shin said. “We're going to need any cameras that might have picked up the car he was driving so we can track it down.”

Ikki turned to him. “You think you have any right to give Toma orders? Or to act like you're in charge? You think that you're somehow better? Smarter? That you have all the answers? Exactly what have you done in this investigation besides get mad at everyone?”

Shin glared at him. “Don't even—”

“You just wouldn't stop pushing. You were mad, hell we all were, but instead of having any kind of sympathy or understanding, you just kept accusing and blaming even though Ken's head was clearly a mess. You pushed and pushed until he thought this was the only way he could make up for it,” Ikki snapped, shoving Shin back up against the wall with a sudden force that caught him completely off guard. “So help me, Shin, if Ken dies, I will make you pay for this.”

“Whoa, Ikki, back off,” Toma said. “It's not Shin's fault.”

Shin shook his head. Toma didn't need to fight his battles for him. “You want to fight me, Ikki? Fine. Do it.”

“You are not his punching bag,” Toma said. “You don't have to let him take his anger out on you. And Ikki, I mean it. Back off. We are all worried about Kent, but we have to calm down because this isn't going to help him.”

“Indeed. I fail to see what fighting amongst yourselves will accomplish,” Waka said. Toma jumped, and Shin flinched, but Ikki was still holding him up against the wall, hadn't relaxed at alll. “Ikki, let him go.”

“None of us thought the yakuza were a real threat. And they weren't, but we didn't put Ken under protection. We didn't make sure someone was with him or his parents even though his mom got threats, too. We ignored it. And none of us saw Watanbe for what he was. We are all guilty. It wasn't just Ken. We all screwed up,” Ikki insisted, drawing back a fist. “We made excuses for ourselves, but we didn't make them for Ken. No, I said he had his reasons. That wasn't what he needed to hear. He needed to hear that even if he'd screwed up without any reason without any cause, he could be forgiven. He doesn't know that. You know he doesn't know that. His parents wouldn't have thought to tell him that it was okay, they weren't those kinds of people. And you made it clear you didn't forgive him.”

Shin grimaced. “You and Toma do the touchy-feely stuff. That's not me. That's never been me. Kent wouldn't have believed it if I'd said it.”

“Perhaps not,” Waka said. “Yet it might have been better if you had.”

“This isn't Shin's fault,” Toma insisted. “Look, we're all upset, and we're all angry and frustrated and worried as hell, but Waka's right. We won't get anywhere fighting each other. We have to focus on finding Kent.”

“Finding Kent?” Waka repeated in a very dangerous tone.

“He went outside of the house,” Toma said. “He... Watanbe found him and the woman and attacked them. She got back inside safely, but Kent was gone by the time we knew about it.”

Waka nodded. “I see. I assume you've put out the information on his vehicle.”

“We were going to, but Ikki kind of lost it a little, and that's when you walked up,” Toma answered. “I... I'll get started on the cameras. Shin, you may as well help me. We'll need more than one set of eyes, and yours are sharp.”

“Ukyo and Shin can work on the cameras. Toma, you need to be looking for anywhere else Watanbe might go to ground. Use what Ikki dug up in his financial records,” Waka said. He put a hand on Ikki's arm. “Ikki, this is your job.”

Ikki frowned, letting up on Shin as he took the container from Waka. The painting. Waka had brought Ikki Kent's puzzle.

“From what I can tell, he didn't go easy on you, even for this,” Waka told him. “There's some of that special shorthand the two of you share in it. No outsider would stand much chance of understanding it.”

Ikki seemed to fight a smile for a second. “Ken...”

Waka took out his phone. “I will organize the others. You get to work. I want Kent found. Alive.”

* * *

Something bumped him, and Kent was aware of little besides his stomach making its demands known. He could not stop the reflex that pushed the vile substance past his lips, unable to do more than lie there, heaving. His throat hurt, as did the rest of him. He disliked vomiting, even if he understood it to be a valid part of the body's defense against things that did it harm.

He looked around him to see nothing but black. The darkness was not entirely frightening, though a part of him was concerned that it could, in fact, be permanent blindness and not just a product of his environment. He would adapt, of course, but it would put him at a severe disadvantage in his current situation.

He'd barely finished the thought before another bump jarred him. He turned to the side, his stomach emptying itself again. He knew, if he'd actually ingested the drugs that Watanbe had given him, this would be useful, but as it had been an injection, this was a nuisance at best.

Still, he supposed it had some benefit, since he should still be unconscious at this point.

That would leave him helpless and completely at Watanbe's mercy, which the man did not possess. He did not intend to let Kent live, nor would his killings end with Kent alone, though he had never expected it to, not even when he'd decided to use himself as bait.

He was a stalling tactic, but for such a thing to work, he had to survive long enough to make it so the others could find Watanbe.

Kent frowned. Wait, there was something about this darkness. The jarring movement...

He was in the trunk of a car, wasn't he?

Despite the obvious problems with this situation, most notably the confined space with the smell and presence of vomit, this did offer a possible solution. If Watanbe was using a modern vehicle, then it had an internal trunk release. He knew some manufacturers made them glow in the dark, but not all of them did. Still, there were other ways out even if there was not an obvious release switch.

Kent reached out a hand to feel along the inside of the chamber, needing to see if Watanbe had removed the latch. He didn't know if he'd remain conscious for much longer or if the drugs Watanbe had given him weren't meant to last long, just long enough to subdue Kent and get him in the car... Did that mean that Watanbe had planned on this? Then he wouldn't have a car they could trace to him and should have taken the time to alter it so that it couldn't be opened.

Or he could have miscalculated and assumed Kent would be out for longer. Kent had found that they were frequently wrong with the doses on his medication because of his size, his height throwing off their usual calculations and incorrect assumptions about his body mass doing the rest.

He couldn't find anything within easy reach. That didn't mean that Watanbe had disabled everything. If nothing else, there was the possibility of breaching the tail light, though Kent was starting to tire again. He didn't know if he would be up to searching for much longer, and if he was forced to break the tail light, he would not be able to do much beyond that.

Still, breaking the tail light might make it easier for the others to track the vehicle. It was worth doing if Kent could manage it.

He shifted his position, needing to find the tail light and break it. Both of them, preferably, since he'd failed to find an internal latch or the wire to the switch inside the car. Most vehicles had that, but Watanbe must have disabled them both in this vehicle. Kent knew that if the vehicle was older, it might not have had that feature, but he didn't think Watanbe would risk using one that was too old.

At any rate, without an interior release, he could only damage the tail lights for attention. It would have to be enough.

After all, he was only stalling for a bit longer. He had no reason to believe he would live beyond that.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team works to find Kent while he faces off against Watanbe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't even say how hard this was to write. Part migraine, part... me, I guess. It was just not cooperating. I even had the fun of needing to rewrite and reorganize a few times and yes... this is where it ended up.
> 
> I did consider doing the flashback as a full fledged side story, but it didn't seem to stand on its own enough. I did want the moment where Kent learned that little tidbit in the story somewhere, though.

* * *

“What is this?” Shin asked, stopping in the doorway. The others were still in the hallway, which he wouldn't have expected, even if Ukyo was the only man left in the house. He was more than capable of lifting the woman and carrying her into another room. He could have moved her a long time ago, but everyone was still here.

“She didn't just pull her stitches,” Ukyo said with a worried glance at Sawa. “She's been unconscious since not long after Toma left. I already called an ambulance—”

“The emergency crews will be here as quickly as they can,” Waka said. Everyone would have scrambled to do what he asked, though it wouldn't change that much. They were still limited in what they could do. Fear of Waka didn't make them superhuman, just more motivated.

“She should be okay,” Sawa said, though she sounded like she had her doubts. “She was cut again, but I think the bleeding's slowed down. She's probably just... worn out from all she's been through lately.”

“It is a lot,” Ukyo agreed. Shin sighed. That might be true, and he supposed Ikki probably thought he'd pushed her too much, too, not being careful of her injuries like he should have been. Even now, though, Shin was a little irritated they couldn't ask her about what she'd seen when Kent was taken.

“Speaking of a lot, we need to get through a bunch of surveillance video,” Shin said, and Ukyo blinked. “We need to find the car he used to take Kent and track it.”

“Oh. Yes, of course."

“Ikki will be working on the puzzle Kent left behind, and I'll be hunting down possible locations where Watanbe might have gone,” Toma said, giving the girl another look. “You and Shin will have to work on the traffic cameras.”

“Excuse me,” Ikki said, pushing past Shin, with more force than was necessary. He was still angry. Shin knew that much. He wasn't a fool.

“Everyone has their tasks,” Waka said. “Go. I already told you I want Kent found alive.”

Shin nodded. It wasn't like he wanted to stand around doing nothing. He hadn't. He'd just stopped because he wasn't expecting everyone to be where they'd left him.

“Ikki, one more thing,” Toma said, and Ikki looked back at him, clearly unhappy with him as well. “You said the drugs Kent took last night have pretty bad side effects... if they were mixed with another drug of any kind—”

“They were, weren't they?” Ikki asked, going pale. “I... there's no real way to know. The doctors told me that Ken's reaction to the ones he's on isn't typical, and that's half the reason he's on the ones he's on because the others don't work, and if they were combined... I don't—It could go either way. Maybe they'd cancel each other out or... Or, he could react badly to them and in that case...”

Ikki didn't have to finish that thought. Shin and almost everyone else knew what he meant. If Kent had reacted badly to the drugs mixing, he was probably already dead.

He walked over to Ukyo. “Let's go. We've got work to do.”

* * *

_Kent had noticed that the cafe was busier than usual today, but he had paid little attention to that at first. His mind was preoccupied by the steps he was taking to remote manage the lab now that the task force was demanding so much of his time, and he had little time or use for anything else right now. When Waka first decided to form the team, it had seemed unlikely to last or be this much of a drain on his time, but as things progressed, Kent found himself spending more time with the others and in the field than he ever had before, and he found it strange._

_He had never really given much though to the work the others did before joining the team. His work was with the evidence itself, testing it and analyzing it, leaving assumptions to detectives. He did not want or need to be a part of any of the other processes._

_He reached for his coffee cup and sighed to discover it was empty. He looked over to find the waitress, knowing she was around somewhere. She never went far when she was on shift, so he should be able to get her attention easily enough._

_She seemed to have just finished showing a customer to his seat at the nearby table, handing him the menu and informing him of the specials, which never actually changed. Kent frowned as the man caught her by the arm._

_“You didn't give me your name.”_

_“I didn't?” She flushed, tugging her arm free. “Oh, that's... um... it's Kokoa.”_

_“Well, then,” the man said, smiling at her in a way that made Kent frown. “I think I'd like a bit of cocoa.”_

_“Certainly,” she said, giving him a slight bow. She caught Kent watching her and got even redder. “I'll bring you more coffee in a minute.”_

_He nodded, turning back to his tablet and trying to optimize the program, needing to be sure that he could actually run the lab from here if he had to. He was in the field too much, and he might have to resign if Waka insisted on keeping him on this team. Admittedly, their work was important, but being out of the lab so much was a conflict Kent didn't need or want._

_She set the cup down in front of him, and he looked up to acknowledge her with a nod._

_“Thank you.”_

_“Your sandwich should be ready soon,” she said, and he frowned at her. Her eyes went wide. “Oh. You already ate it, didn't you? I'm sorry. I... It's so busy right now.”_

_“I did not complain.”_

_She nodded, turning to go back to the other table. She set a mug in front of the man, who looked at it and then at her. He leaned forward, trying to catch her hand again. “This isn't exactly the kind of cocoa I had in mind.”_

_She swallowed, taking a moment to calm herself before responding in a cold but firm manner. “That kind isn't on the menu.”_

_She walked away, leaving the man to glare at her back, muttering to himself all sorts of unfavorable things about her that went from typical idiocy to complete ridiculousness. He wasn't being the least bit quiet about it, either._

_Kent shook his head and attempted to focus on his work again. He sipped from his coffee as he looked over the program, frowning. This was wrong. That result couldn't have come from that test, so something was off somewhere._

_He continued to make adjustments, aware of the girl with the obnoxious voice coming over to the other table and taking over for the one non-idiotic waitress, asking for the other patron's food order. He did his best to ignore it as he tried to fix the error. It had to be a matter of the settings, but if he couldn't fix it, this would not be viable. He considered informing Waka now, but he had a feeling that Waka's response would be to have him transferred out of the lab instead of releasing him from the task force._

_He heard another cup clink against the table and frowned to see her place it there. How long had he been so preoccupied with this, anyway?_

_“Is everything okay?” She grimaced. “It's just... you usually are in more of a hurry when you eat, but you've been sitting here for a while, and you keep looking at that tablet like it betrayed you.”_

_He almost laughed. “That is hardly possible, though the program I'm testing is not cooperating at present. If this table is needed, I can finish this elsewhere.”_

_“Oh, no, I wasn't trying to rush you off,” she said. Her eyes darted toward the other man, suggesting she'd gladly run him out of the store. “I just... I don't even know why I asked, except that it's a little not like you.”_

_He shrugged, reaching for his coffee again. “I suppose not. I'm trying to make running my lab remotely possible, so far without success.”_

_“Oh,” she said. “Wow. I didn't think you could do that, not be there for the research, but then... yours is math so maybe it's possible? Or am—I'm being stupid. No one can watch experiments constantly. I don't even know why I said that. I should get back to the dishes. I told Mine I'd do her share if she took that table for me. Why does this always have to happen when people hear my name?”_

_He shook his head. “I think that must be an exaggeration. Some people could not care what your name is nor would they see any point in making a joke or a pun out of it.”_

_She sighed. “It's sad that you're actually comforting right now.”_

_He had not meant to be, so he said nothing further, reaching for his coffee again. She walked back to the kitchen with his empty cup, and he heard the other customer heckle her as she passed, making her go red again._

_“Guess you don't know the meaning of hot cocoa, huh? You're all bitter and cold, not warm and sweet.”_

_Kent recognized signs of her fury, having provoked her in the past himself, but she just went into the kitchen. He supposed she didn't want to fight with this man, since she'd already made her position clear and nothing would change that or his lack of acceptance of her words. Kent knew that his willingness to return after their debates made him somewhat of an oddity as a customer, but he'd actually found himself enjoying them to some degree, even if her arguments were always flawed._

_“Bitch. Flirt with that jerk but ignore me? I'll show you.”_

_Kent looked over at him. “I am curious. Exactly what in that conversation was flirtatious? Because while I am told I am socially inept and incapable of flirting—this coming from a former actor who is nearly the opposite—can't keep from flirting, ever—your methods don't seem to have any appeal, and if I can do better, then you must be truly pathetic indeed.”_

_“Excuse me?”_

_“I would also think that making jokes about someone's name would not be 'cute' or endearing. More likely, as they've been done to an excess, they'd be tiresome, but you weren't even close to those marks with yours as your assumption was rude and lascivious,” Kent went on. “The waitstaff may be here to serve you, but that does not make them slaves or here for sexual favors. Your crude behavior almost demands worse, and knowing full well what she's capable of saying when provoked, you were treated more kindly than you deserve.”_

_“I don't have to sit here and listen to this,” the man said, rising. “And you should stay out of things that don't concern you.”_

_“You are the one making it my concern and that of everyone in this restaurant due to your behavior and refusal to make the matter private and quiet, not that it should even have occurred in the first place,” Kent said. “And if you persist in this sort of harassment, I will be forced to take action.”_

_“You couldn't possibly—”_

_Kent stood, and the other man rushed from the restaurant in fear. He frowned, shaking his head again as he sat back down. He saw a text on his phone and grimaced. Who the hell had given Watanbe his number? He wasn't dealing with that fool now, not after this._

_Still, he gathered his things and left enough money to cover both his order and the other man's, not wanting them to bear the burden of someone who didn't pay. He had too much to do to sit around here, and knowing Gatou's assistant as well as he did, Kent was sure he'd come find him._

_He did not intend to be anywhere he could be found, even if it meant breaking his routine and avoiding this restaurant._

* * *

“Why haven't they said anything?” Orion asked, fidgeting in the chair. “They should have said something by now. It wasn't that bad, was it? They're not hiding and afraid to tell Waka she died, right?”

Sawa gave him her best smile, but he wasn't reassured by it. Waka had come with them to the hospital, which surprised him, but then he'd made everyone else do something. Toma, Shin, Ikki, and Ukyo were all working to find Kent, and they had to be with someone who could keep them safe, didn't they? Maybe Sawa and Mine never saw anything, but Neesan had. She'd seen the killer. He'd hurt her. A lot.

Orion wished he'd been able to help her, to protect her. He shouldn't have left her alone, even if he thought she wouldn't move, not with Kent sleeping on her.

“It's just going to take time,” Sawa said. “They're going to be thorough and take good care of her.”

Orio hoped so, but this was the second time he'd been stuck here like this, waiting and unable to do anything. He hated this. He needed to see Neesan.

He was even worried about Kent.

“They will give us word soon,” Waka said, and Orion frowned at him. Was he just saying that? It was not like he thought that guy was someone who went around comforting people.

“Captain?”

Waka nodded to the doctor who had just come around the corner. “Yes. What is her condition?”

Wow, Waka was good. Had he heard that doctor coming? How, with all the noise around them and Sawa and Orion talking? That was just... insane. And kind of cool, actually. Waka was as amazing as he was scary. And that was probably why he was so scary—because he could do that kind of thing.

“She's been stabilized. The wound on her leg is showing signs of an infection, and she's running a low fever at the moment,” the doctor said. “The cut on her side missed her vital organs, but she still lost a fair amount of blood.”

“I see,” Waka said. “You believe the blood loss responsible for her loss of consciousness or the fever?”

“Either is a possibility. It does seem she's been through quite a bit of trauma lately. Is there a particular reason she was brought here instead of the hospital that previously treated her?”

Waka nodded, but he didn't tell the doctor what it was.

Orion frowned. “Is this because of the way that other hospital treated Kent? Or are you trying to protect my sister by changing hospitals so that killer won't know where to look for her?”

The doctor's eyes widened, but Sawa and Mine's were wider.

“You are rather astute for a child,” Waka told him, and Orion grimaced, wishing he hadn't said anything. Had he just been... insulted? “You may have potential as well, but that is a matter for later. Doctor, how soon can she be moved from the hospital?”

“She just got here,” the doctor said. “You can't actually want to take her away already.”

Waka stared him down. “Were there any other option, she would never have been brought here in the first place. She is only here now because we lack proper diagnostic tools and more than field training when it comes to medicine.”

The doctor swallowed. “I... She should stay for observation.”

“Will she be harmed if she is moved?” Waka asked, not changing his expression even for a moment.

“There is a chance she could develop more complications if she's moved, of course. The stitches in her leg have already been pulled once, and the ones in her side could end up just as infected as the others if she's not careful. Her fever could spike and there may be—”

“Yet nothing at present is life-threatening,” Waka said, and the doctor frowned. “You noticed trauma, yet think nothing of the cause? I can see no improvement in the skills of the personnel at this hospital. We will be removing her to see to her safety.”

The doctor opened his mouth to protest, but he caught Waka's look and stopped. “Very well.”

* * *

“You don't give up, do you?”

Kent didn't feel like lifting his head. He must have fallen asleep again for a bit after breaking the tail lights. His body was heavy again, and he was so weary. He just wanted to keep his eyes closed as if that somehow would prevent his stomach from emptying itself again. He was tired of vomiting, though he knew part of it was being stuck in such an enclosed space with no way to avoid the smell.

“That is an erroneous statement as well,” Kent said, though he knew Watanbe's words meant he was aware of what Kent had managed to do to the tail lights.

“You shouldn't even be awake,” Watanbe grumbled, reaching for him. Kent forced himself to move back, though he knew he had nowhere to go. He'd tried to find the release into the backseat of the car, willing to risk that if it meant getting out of the trunk and away from all of this.

He accepted he was likely to die. He still found it difficult to allow that to happen without a fight, even if it was out of an irrational refusal to be dragged through vomit.

“You have nowhere to go.”

Kent nodded. “I am aware of that, but I am also unwilling to allow you to manhandle me out of this trunk in a way that will be both undignified and also result in me being forced to smell like vomit up until you kill me.”

Watanbe laughed. “That bothers you?”

“I suppose it seems irrational,” Kent agreed. He knew it did. He also knew that if he was able to persuade Watanbe not to drag him from the car, he'd stand a better chance of escaping once he was out of the trunk. “Yet I have developed a strong dislike for that smell, and if I must die, I would rather not have to do so covered in such an odor.”

“You amuse me,” Watanbe said, taking out a gun this time. He gestured for Kent to move. “Come on out, then. If you do anything foolish, I will shoot you.”

Kent couldn't remember all the details of the other cases, but he felt certain, somehow, that Watanbe had not used a gun in them. He was either uncomfortable with them or needed to be closer to his victims. Kent could not be sure, but he thought it was still something to consider, as it might well make Watanbe unable to use it now or that he would use it poorly.

It was a dangerous assumption to make, but Kent was at a distinct disadvantage. He would have to make some risky choices if he intended to survive. He crawled out of the trunk, making sure he took it slowly, careful not just to avoid the vomit but also to give himself a chance to observe their surroundings and gain a bit of distance from Watanbe. Any slowness on Kent's part should increase the sense that he was rather incapable of doing anything against Watanbe, which was what he wanted.

He stood, knowing his window for movement was short. This parking garage was not Watanbe's final destination, just a place to try and elude his pursuers for longer.

That proved true when Watanbe gestured to the car next to them. “Get in the trunk.”

Already open, the trunk was waiting for him, and Kent was sure it had been altered as well, to prevent the release from opening. He didn't have much of a choice, then. Watanbe was sure to drug him again to ensure he did not break more tail lights. Kent knew he would likely not survive another dose of drugs.

Fine, then. He had little other choice. Or if he did, he didn't have the time to think about it.

He slammed his entire body into Watanbe, an inelegant move that still managed to knock the other man to the ground, sending the gun clattering across the concrete and under one of the other vehicles. Kent stumbled, not balanced enough for what he'd just done. Watanbe reached for him, yanking on his leg, and Kent fell, desperate to free himself before Watanbe could get to him.

He pulled his leg free and dragged himself forward, scrambling up to his feet again. He had already chosen to run. Direct confrontation with Watanbe was not going to end in Kent's favor. He had lost the last fight, and if he just needed to stall, running was better. 

He had seen a bit of the garage, though it helped little, since even though this level was full of cars, he'd been forced in the opposite direction from the closer stairwell.

That left him with an obvious destination, and his height meant that running normally was out of the question. He'd have to crouch and make his way through the cars, trying to keep himself covered, which would take time and also make it more likely that his existing fatigue and injuries would get to him if Watanbe didn't.

Even as he had that thought, he felt himself weakening. He rounded a truck, taking himself out of sight as he slowed down, moving around the front of it to the car next to it, needing to reverse directions. He had to get to the stairwell if he could, and if not, he might even be able to ambush Watanbe, which was about the only way Kent saw himself having an advantage in their fight.

He eased himself around another vehicle, listening carefully as he did. He could not hear much from his own movements, which was as it should be, he'd worked with Waka enough to value that skill though he was far from Waka's level at such a thing. He didn't hear Watanbe, either, though, which was unfortunate.

He closed his eyes for a moment, needing a rest. This was not a good position to be in, and if this was one of Waka's team exercises, Shin or Toma would have found him and disqualified him by now. Kent did not have a high opinion of his own chances of success here. He was an intellectual, preferred being in his lab, and this sort of action was best left to Shin or Toma, who sought it out, or even Ikkyu, who could manage after all his years in television simulating the same events.

His arm throbbed, and he glanced at it. He'd thought the bleeding had stopped while he was still in the trunk, but if it hadn't, that would end up leaving a trail that Watanbe could follow.

Damn it.

* * *

“Wait,” Shin said, almost grabbing the mouse from Ukyo, who grimaced and moved to the side, making the mistake of bringing the mouse with him. Shin gave him a look, and Ukyo sighed. Shin was supposed to be watching his own screen with the cameras, not Ukyo's. “Fine. Go back.”

“I don't even know which screen you want me to move back,” Ukyo said. “There are eight of them here, so you'll have to be more specific.”

Shin held out a hand. Ukyo gave him the mouse and keyboard, letting him do what he wanted. He stepped back so Shin could lean in and do what he wanted. He pulled up one of the cameras to the center, nodding to himself as he paused the feed.

“That's it. That's what I thought.”

Ukyo frowned. At first glance, it didn't look like much of anything, just a typical car driven by just about anyone who owned a car. Black, four door, nothing too unusual. Ukyo stared for a moment, afraid to get his hopes up after what he'd just seen.

“There isn't any other reason why both back tail lights would be broken, is there?”

Shin shrugged. “Could be vandalism, maybe, but if it happened on that street, we would have seen it. This neighborhood isn't that bad as far as crime goes.”

Ukyo nodded. This could be a good sign. “Then maybe Kent is still alive and fighting back.”

Shin started out of the room, leaving Ukyo little option other than to follow after him. He heard something shatter in the other room, and stopped, peering into the doorway. Ikki looked pretty ragged already, and Ukyo knew it wasn't fair to ask him to do this right now. He was worried about Kent, considered him like family, the only family he had, and Kent was missing, in danger, and Ukyo knew that if he was in Ikki's position, even knowing that the puzzle might save Kent's life, he wouldn't be able to concentrate on it.

“Ikki?”

“Don't even start with me, Shin. Same to you, Ukyo.”

Shin grunted. “We may have a bit of good news. Found a car on the cameras—both tail lights damaged. Could be Kent. I wanted to see what Toma could dig up on it. Already added it to the alert.”

Ikki took in a breath and let it out. “That's good. Better than what I've got.”

Ukyo grimaced. “You don't have to force—”

“This sort of puzzle would have me throwing stuff even if Ken wasn't missing. He didn't make it easy. Ken never does, but this one...” Ikki ran a hand over his face. “His paranoia was at an all time high. That's the only thing I can think of because the damned thing is practically in code on top of being a puzzle written in our shorthand—hell, there's even inside jokes in it. He didn't mean for anyone else to solve this and I... I honestly don't know if I can.”

Shin seemed to wince a little, but it could have been Ukyo's imagination. “I'll take this to Toma.”

Shin shoved Ukyo forward after he said it, so no, not his imagination. He wanted Ukyo to fix this, but Ukyo didn't know how. He wasn't any good at math, either. That was all Ikki and Kent. Even their stories were something that tended to only be shared by Ikki and Kent, not the whole team.

Still, he had to try.

“Ikki, Kent wouldn't have given you something that you couldn't solve,” Ukyo said. “The harder this puzzle is, the more it shows that Kent trusts you. He put all his faith into something you would unravel, and Kent doesn't do that lightly. It wouldn't be logical to create a puzzle you couldn't solve, right? So he knew you would do it.”

Ikki nodded. “Yeah, I'm sure he did.”

“Then...” Ukyo frowned, not sure what to think of that tone. “I know it's not much comfort, but he _did_ think you could do this.”

“I know he did.”

“I... You don't sound like you do.”

Ikki tried to force a smile. It was more of a grimace. “Don't you see it, Ukyo? He never expected me to be solving this while he was alive. He figured he'd be dead if this ever got to me. I wasn't supposed to be trying to find him and keep him alive.”

Ukyo winced. “Ikki...”

“You should go back to the traffic cameras. We don't know for sure that was the car Ken was in—but if he was awake, he'd be looking for a way out or a way to let us know that was the car. It's very like him,” Ikki said. “And we'll need to track it as far as we can. Maybe that's what Shin thought Toma would do, but you've got eyes.”

Ukyo nodded. “I know, and I will. I just... I wish there was some way I could help you, too, Ikki.”

Ikki laughed a little. “I'm not the one that needs help. Ken does. You just do your part. I'll get back to mine. I'm fine.”

“No,” Ukyo disagreed quietly. “You're not.”

* * *

“I have to admit, you're giving me more trouble than I thought you would,” Watanbe called out across the garage. “Last time, you were so easy to subdue.”

Kent refused to snort or give into the temptation to reply. He'd been a ridiculously easy target because he'd been trapped in the rubble. His leg was crushed. He couldn't run then. He wasn't even sure why he could move now, not when he'd been drugged, but the best idea he had was that the combination of the two drugs had actually managed to counteract their effects to a degree.

He was still tired and nauseous and ready to collapse, so it wasn't a complete negation of anything, but it was enough to allow him this much. He just had to hold on a bit longer. If he could pinpoint where Watanbe was, he could move again, toward the stairwell.

Or, if he came near, Kent could attack, and that might end it all.

He just had to stay conscious. He was not sure he could, but he would try.

“No response to that? You had plenty to say before,” Watanbe went on. “You kept on talking like you thought it could change things. Like it would save her.”

Kent found himself thinking he'd rather like to kill Watanbe. He'd never thought himself capable of such an action, even after becoming a part of the task force, but what that man had done to his mother—Kent wanted him to pay for it, wanted to be the one to make that happen, even if he knew it was illogical. It wouldn't bring her back and it wouldn't change anything. She'd still be dead, and Watanbe would not feel anything. Kent's guilt wouldn't go away.

He took another breath. He was being baited. That was all. Watanbe wanted to provoke him out of hiding. If he spoke, he lost.

He would not lose, not this time.

That sentiment actually surprised him. He wasn't used to thinking that way. He wasn't emotional by nature, nor was he prone to think too much of himself. He knew he was not capable of winning this confrontation, so why was he so willing to do it, so sure he'd somehow prevail? That was illogical.

“Still nothing?” Watanbe's voice sounded closer than before. “I thought you were done hiding from me. Wasn't that why you finally left your house? Weren't you planning on baiting me? Or were you actually not planning and just made a stupid, stupid mistake? How unlike you, Kent. You went without a plan. No strategy. Not even logic. Why would you, of all people, do that?”

Kent grimaced. True, he hadn't done all that much to plan his actions, but he wasn't a fool, either. He knew that Watanbe wanted to capture him and kill him. Still, if his basic plan had worked, it would actually have trapped Watanbe in the house with all of them. He hadn't had a chance to adapt it before he was taken, couldn't fix what his distraction had broken.

He grimaced. She'd been trying to help. He never wanted her to think that it was her fault this happened. He'd made the decision to go out the door. He was to blame. He knew that.

He was to blame for all of it.

* * *

“I got us a possible,” Shin said, and Toma looked back at him, eyes bleary from looking at the screen for too long. He should probably do something about that, but if he had his eyes examined and they were starting to get worse, the department might pull him from working with Shin. He didn't want that. He needed to be where he could watch over his little brother.

“Possible?”

“Yeah. Looked over at Ukyo's screens, caught a glimpse of a car that had two broken tail lights.”

Toma couldn't help the smile. “That's it, Kent. Don't give up on us yet.”

Shin sighed. “You know we don't have any proof that is his work. Don't go fixating on it now.”

Toma shook his head. “I know it might not pay to be optimistic, but I want to be this time. I don't want this to all be a waste, and it's not like we don't already know what it's like to lose Kent. We've lived that nightmare once, and he wasn't even dead. I don't want that to happen. We're getting him back, and we're keeping him this time. No more of this hiding crap. He's coming back to the team like before.”

Shin nodded, though Toma knew he was far from convinced. “I figured you could run down the numbers faster, see if there's any connection between this car and Watanbe or Eguchi.”

Toma nodded. “I can. So far I haven't managed to drag up anywhere in particular that Watanbe might consider special, nowhere he might take Kent. What I've got from the bank records Ikki gave me and the GPS records I've been able to dig up isn't narrowing it down enough. He doesn't own any property here besides the car, and that's sitting at the station. Hasn't moved all day. Same with the vehicle Eguchi owns. What I do have is a couple neighborhoods—”

“If this car ended up anywhere near them, it might be enough,” Shin said. “We just need a place to start, right?”

“Shin, he's not a fool. This guy's other crimes are carefully planned and hidden so no one even knows he did it,” Toma said. “He's going to ditch that car for another before he takes Kent anywhere. Though... that does give me some hope, if we're right about Kent doing that to the tail lights.”

Shin nodded. “There's a chance he could free himself, though if he only broke the tail lights, that means Watanbe disabled the interior trunk release. Kent's not stupid. He would have used it if he could have. The tail lights are a last resort.”

Toma nodded. “Not that it would surprise me if Watanbe made sure to deal with the trunk release. He'd have to. He couldn't risk putting Kent in the back seat or having him sit with him up front, even if he had a gun on him.”

“No, Kent would just let him shoot him instead of cooperating.”

“That's true,” Toma admitted, since Kent's survival instincts weren't the same as other people's, even less so if he was willing to sacrifice himself to save the rest of them. Kent would try and talk people down, but he'd see no logical point in giving someone who intended to kill him anyway what he wanted and cooperating just to buy time. The only reason Kent was alive now was probably the girl. He'd fought for Kokoa, not for himself.

“So this guy wants to torture Kent,” Shin said. “That gives us some time, keeps him alive, but he will kill Kent when he's done.”

“We're going to find him before that happens,” Toma insisted. “If we're right about this car, we have a good start, and if Kent keeps fighting, we have a good chance.”

“Ikki's not doing well with the puzzle.”

Toma grimaced. “I was hoping when we found that again, if it existed, that Kent would be around to take one look at it and tell us the answer, but he's not, so we'll just have to do what we can without it and give Ikki time to finish it. Tell me you didn't set him off again.”

“I let Ukyo go comfort him.” Shin shook his head. “Don't look at me like that. Ikki wouldn't accept an apology from me right now. It would just make him think I've given up on Kent.”

Toma looked at him. “Haven't you?”

Shin folded his arms over his chest. “If Kent broke those tail lights, he's decided to keep fighting. Maybe he's only doing it to stall for time, because he'd be dumb to think it ended with him, and he's not dumb. So he's giving us time. He'll try and escape if he can when Watanbe's switching cars, but that might not be enough.”

“Maybe not. We have to trust Kent to do what he can and do our part to make anything he does do worth it. If he can stall long enough... We'll get him back. He'll do it. We just have to hold up our end.”

* * *

“Was it the girl? If I had only known how special she was to you...” Watanbe continued to try and bait Kent from where he was. “I admit I saw her strength, how she actually mirrored you in the way she stood up to me even when I had her cornered, but you feeling something for her, that surprised me. I was not expecting that.”

Kent frowned. The way he said that... Was Watanbe jealous? Of Kokoa? Why? Their relationship was contentious and far from mutual. Her admitting to caring for him—if she even did—was not the same as the feelings that Ikkyu thought Kent had for her.

“They do say we're all fools in love,” Watanbe went on. “So that could explain you. Not sure why it should. Aren't you incapable of falling in love? Of feeling emotion?”

Kent shook his head. He needed to move, but if he did, he risked exposing his position. He didn't know that he could run right now. His legs felt weak, and his arm wasn't throbbing anymore—he couldn't even feel it. That did not seem to be a good sign. If there was a fight, he would not win in this state. His best option was staying put and continuing to stall for time. If they saw the car on the traffic cameras, they would find this place.

“I thought I was unable to feel anything. Maybe anger, a few times, but other than that?” Watanbe laughed. “I know they'd say I took pleasure in my kills, but that's not true.”

Kent almost agreed with him. He thought the man took more pleasure in getting away with the killings, though he would not rule out Watanbe enjoying the act of killing itself. Still, that was not Kent's realm of expertise. He wasn't going to argue that, not even to stall.

“And yet... that emotion was nothing to finding out that you knew about me,” Watanbe said. “I had no idea how knowing about you would affect me. It wasn't enough to stop you. I had to get close, had to know what you knew, had to _see_ you, _touch_ you. It wasn't enough to kill you at a distance. I don't even like having this conversation at a distance. I want to hear your voice. I want your answers. I don't like you hiding from me.”

Kent could hear that the man was becoming more and more unhinged. He knew that could be used to his advantage, but he didn't know that he was up to that right now.

He was so tired. Every bit of him ached, and he could easily close his eyes now and not wake up, he was sure of that. He'd only meant to stall, but stalling wasn't enough. This would end here, one way or another.

“Did you pass out again? Is that why you're being quiet?”

Kent grimaced. Watanbe was definitely closer now. If he moved, he'd be seen, and even if he didn't move, that was a good possibility. Running was not a good option, not with how he felt or how close Watanbe was, but Kent was also unarmed and unlikely to be able to defend himself if Watanbe reached him. He could try and use surprise against the other man, but would it be enough?

Maybe. It had worked before, but that just made it more likely that Watanbe would be expecting it.

Still, Kent didn't know what else to do, so he waited, closing his eyes as the footsteps came nearer. He wasn't good at lying, or at acting, but he didn't think it would be difficult for anyone to believe he had passed out.

“Ah, there you are,” Watanbe said as he reached Kent. “A pity you're not awake. I was looking forward to our time together, even if you did try and run from me. I can't help but admire that about you. You still fought against the inevitable, against what logic must tell you is coming. Would you say that is fight or flight? Or are you really afraid to die?”

Kent knew if Watanbe touched him, it would be over. He'd panic and lose everything.

“Actually, I'm just unwilling to die without stopping you first,” Kent told him, opening his eyes in time to see shock pass over Watanbe's face before he grabbed hold of him and slammed his head into the car behind them as hard as he could. He didn't let go, doing it it again and then again before he couldn't hold on any longer.

He felt Watanbe slip from his grasp, and he let him fall, curling up against the car with a shudder. He hadn't thought he was capable of that, didn't want to be, and yet he knew that wasn't even enough. Not in comparison to what his other victims had suffered and quite possibly not enough to stop Watanbe now.

“You don't... want to die... without killing me? I don't... want to die... without killing you,” Watanbe said, forcing himself back up again. He gave Kent a smile that could only be called deranged as he withdrew a knife. “Make it... even... both of us die. Here. Now.”

“No fanfare? No fire?”

“Oh, that,” Watanbe grinned, lifting up a key fob and pushing a button. The ground shook with an explosion, and Kent knew that the car Watanbe had been driving earlier was now a burning wreck. “There's the fire... It's all complete... this is where it ends, then. Not so special, but then... I've got you. That's all I need.”

He lifted the knife, and Kent did his best to prepare himself. He had nowhere to run, and he doubted Watanbe was as injured as he was claiming, just disoriented from the head wound. This would never have ended in his favor. He knew that.

And he had to believe that he'd stalled as long as he could. There was nothing else left he could do.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a bit of a breakthrough, but time is running out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't felt well the last few days, and it's been hard to get much writing done, though I didn't mean to drag out the cliffhangers of late. They just kind of happened.
> 
> This one is getting closer to wrapped up which is good, I think. I got tempted a bit by a crossover idea, again, but with Collar x Malice this time (they're all cops, so...) but I'm hoping I'll at least have things tidied for Nano starting soon and I do have my Yuletide assignment to do that I'm panicking about.

* * *

_She gave the empty table another glance. No one seemed willing to sit there, and it almost felt like a mockery. She'd told Kent not to come, so his usual spot sat empty, no one willing to fill it, even for a short while._

_Honestly, no one could. She knew that. She didn't think there was anyone else quite like Kent, with his contradictions and his logic. He seemed to care, more so than anyone would think if they just met him. He had a nice, kind side that she hadn't expected._

_No, she'd denied it and ignored it, even accused him of being incapable of it._

_She winced. She really needed to talk to Kent. The thought had weighed on her as she got ready for work that morning, exhausted as she was. She'd moved so much of their stuff on her own, not wanting to ask Sawa or Mine for help, and it took her and Orion most of the day, even after the others joined them. Sawa was fairly strong, so she'd done a lot of the heavier lifting, but that still left a lot for Kokoa and Mine to do._

_She couldn't use that as an excuse, though. She was here working, wasn't she? If she was too tired to talk to Kent, then she should be too tired to work, but she was at work again. No, she couldn't give herself any kind of excuse._

_She didn't think he'd come into the restaurant, not after what she'd said—this wasn't like before when he'd shown up after her harsh words. She hadn't just said mean things, she'd told him flat out to stay away. She'd even threatened him._

_She had to fix this. She had to talk to him. She was still angry, but Kent wasn't to blame for what the police thought. They were wrong, she was sure of that, but Kent hadn't been the one who said it. She didn't know why he'd believe it, he was smart enough to know better, but maybe if she talked to him again when she was calmer, she could change his mind._

_“Hey,” Sawa said, touching Kokoa's arm. “You're a bit out of it today. Are you sure you don't want to go home early? You did a lot yesterday.”_

_She shook her head. “No, I need to work. This new apartment is a bit more expensive than our old one, and I have to make sure I can keep up with the rent.”_

_Sawa rolled her eyes. “You. You know that there's more to life than bills and responsibilities, and one shift is not going to make or break things. You need to take more time for yourself. What if you get sick again?”_

_Kokoa felt her chest tighten up, hating herself for her attitude back then. Kent had taken her home, watched over her and Orion, and he'd helped her with food and cleaning up, even gave Orion math problems so he could understand his class better. She'd gotten offended at the idea of being charity and not even thanked him for what he'd done. And now, if she didn't talk to Kent, there'd be no one around if that happened again._

_She didn't know why she wanted to rely on him so much. She shouldn't. Still, she wanted him there._

_She looked at Sawa. “I almost never get sick. You know that.”_

_Sawa sighed. “You really should—”_

_“If she wants to work so badly, she can clean up that table,” Mine said. “And you told me you were going to get started on the dishes, Sawa.”_

_Kokoa left them arguing with each other over who had the dish duty that day and went to clear the table. She knew this wasn't one of hers, but that didn't matter. It still needed to be cleaned, and this one had even left behind his newspaper. She picked it up to put it in her apron pocket, intending to throw it away later, but her eyes caught on the photographs and she stared in disbelief._

Yakuza Retaliation: Famed Prosecutor and Husband Dead in Explosion. 

_That itself was terrible, as was the picture of the wreckage of their house, but it was the other photo that caught her eye. That picture—it seemed impossible because in it Kent was actually smiling, almost like he was laughing at something someone said._

_Kent was involved? How? She put a finger on the caption, reading it over._

__Pictured with their son, the forensics expert whose testimony was the foundation of the case against the yakuza family head, the couple leaves the courthouse the day before the explosion. Their son was at their home with them that night. __

_She swallowed. She knew that was Kent in the photograph, and he was with two people. She could believe they were his parents. They looked enough like each other for that to be true, but if it was... No. That couldn't be right. If he was there—what happened to Kent?_

_She started reading over the article, skimming it as fast as she could for the answer she had to have, finally finding it in the third paragraph._

__Their son was present for dinner that night, and was caught in the wreckage with his parents. While he was alive when taken from the scene, his current status is unknown. The police department has refused to release any information on which hospital he was taken to, and as of press time for this article, it could not be confirmed that he was still alive. __

_She felt her legs go weak, and she thought she might fall. She grabbed the nearest chair, sitting down in it. This couldn't be happening. Kent dead? No. He wasn't. He couldn't be. He... he was fine when she saw him last. He... he wasn't dead._

_“Kokoa? What is it? What's wrong?”_

_“It's Kent,” she whispered, looking up at Sawa, not sure if she was trying to get her friend to deny this or what she wanted._

_“What?”_

_“I have to go to the hospital,” Kokoa said. She nodded to herself, sure of that much. “I have to see Kent. If he's still alive... I... I have to see him.”_

* * *

“We have a problem.”

Toma looked up from his computer with a frown. He knew Shin wouldn't say that lightly, but that just made it worse. He didn't like hearing those words come from his brother, ever. 

“What's wrong?”

“We lost track of the car with the broken tail lights,” Ukyo said, and Toma grimaced. “It disappeared somewhere between these two cameras.”

Toma frowned as he looked at the screen, turning to Shin. “Why are there three cameras there?”

“Because the one in between these two went dark,” Shin said. “Well, it was dark before we tracked the car there, so we can't be sure if it was done for Watanbe or not. He may have disabled it, but he would have had to do it before he got close to it.”

“It's possible it's a hack or he had some other way of destroying it before he got near it,” Toma agreed. “We know he's got some experience with explosives from what he did to Kent's parents' house, so he could have rigged the camera, though it should have gotten flagged in the system. We wouldn't even know if he could hack it, since he might be able to do it with a personality we haven't seen or just have been hiding it all along.”

Ukyo nodded. “Unfortunately, we know too little about the man Watanbe truly is, with or without the personalities.”

“I figure the camera going down means that he found somewhere to turn off in between these two cameras,” Shin said. “I got a map, and there's no side streets, which means it has to be something along the way.”

“Well, whatever it is, it would be somewhere private where he could switch vehicles without being seen,” Toma said, thinking as he started calling up the addresses for that block. “And if we assume he didn't want that camera showing where he went, it must be pretty close to it. So...”

“There a parking garage in any of those businesses?” Shin asked, leaning over Toma's shoulder. “That would be Watanbe's best option.”

“Option for what?”

Toma looked back at the doorway, frowning. “Orion? Why aren't you at the hospital with your sister?”

“As if I would entrust the safety of one of mine to that hospital,” Waka said, shaking his head as he walked in with Kokoa in his arms. She was still out cold, but at least she was bandaged up instead of bleeding, and if Orion was calm about it, there must not be anything too bad to worry about. “Three of you are here. That is good. I would like a report on your progress.”

“We were just about to—”

“With Ikki, of course,” Waka said. He turned back to Sawa. “Go and get him for us.”

Sawa looked at Waka with wide eyes. “Me?”

Toma shrugged. “He'd probably welcome a pretty face over one of ours right now. He's really mad at Shin and me by extension, so... you'd be more appealing just from that alone, but you coming back will tell him that Kokoa's okay, so.... it's for the best if you go.”

“I'll go with you if you want,” Mine offered. Then she frowned. “Where is Ikki, anyway?”

“Close enough to have my ears burning,” Ikki said as he came into the room. He forced a smile for the women, not even looking at Toma or the others. “I came back to get my—well, I forgot something. Let's just leave it at that.”

Toma was pretty sure that teasing Ikki about his glasses would not go over well right now. Most of the time, he'd brush it off and laugh, or Kent would say something about Ikki functioning well without them which was not true for Kent at all. 

“Your timing is good,” Waka told him as he carried Kokoa over to the couch. “I'd like to hear your status as well.”

Ikki stiffened, clearly not ready for that. “I...”

“No, Kent, don't...” Kokoa said as Waka set her down, trying to hold him in place. “Don't go. I don't want you to. I never told you... how nice it was... having you take care of me... I never... even thanked you...”

Waka took her hand off his sleeve. “I'm afraid you'll have to tell him that later when we find him.”

At the sound of Waka's voice, she jerked awake, flushing red when she saw everyone around her. “Oh. I...”

“Don't worry about it. It was adorable. I'm just sorry it missed its target audience,” Ikki told her. “I hope you're brave enough to tell him that for real. He needs to know it's not one-sided.”

Orion frowned. “What?”

“That will wait,” Waka said. “We have more important matters to attend to now.”

Toma cleared his throat, feeling awkward. “Yeah, uh, about the whole—”

“One thing,” Shin said, and Toma almost winced. This could get ugly fast again. “How was the door open when you got in? It's only supposed to stay open a minute and shut again, and there is no way that guy was already gone within a minute of you calling for us, not with the door still open.”

Ikki shook his head. “Ken has different settings for the door. If you enter a certain code, it will stay open longer or reopen at specific intervals. Not that I know them all off the top of my head—Ken doesn't really like it if people use the others without the fail safe, but they do exist and he knows them all, so he could have set a different one so that they'd have time to get inside safely.”

“No, Kent didn't open the door,” Kokoa said. “I did. He... he said to multiply the day Orion was born twice and it confused that man—and me, at first—but Kent got him off me so I could get to the keypad and put the numbers in.”

“You're kidding,” Shin said, and she frowned at him. He shook his head, frustrated again. “The man doesn't remember his own birthday, but he knows your brother's? How? Why?”

“Oh, please,” Toma said. “I think we all know why now, even if you want to keep denying it.”

“Wait, that's it,” Ikki said, smiling widely. “You really are a good luck charm.”

Kokoa frowned. “What?”

Ikki tapped his fingers against his forehead as he thought aloud, almost like Kent did. “Carry that over, subtract that from—oh, that's just—damn it, Ken, even when I know what to do it's not easy.”

“Ikki?”

He crossed the room, almost shoving Toma out of the way as he took control of the keyboard and mouse, pulling up a website.

“Ikki, what are you—”

“Just watch this,” Ikki said, and a second later, the screen was filled with a long list of files, scrolling down and down like there was no end to them.

“Wait,” Shin said. “Is this—”

“Online storage,” Waka said. “Under the circumstances, rather prudent on Kent's part.”

Ukyo swallowed. “All those names... they aren't—are they all ones Kent suspected Watanbe killed? All of them?”

“There's so many,” Orion said, reaching for his sister's hand. “That can't be real, can it?”

“Those files will have to be reviewed later,” Waka said. “They may even be enough to prompt the rest of Kent's missing memories, but first, he must be found.”

“Hey, I get a little credit for solving that puzzle and in record time, I might add. It's not my record best, of course, that stands at fourteen minutes and Ken definitely wasn't willing to let me do that again—don't look at me like that. These are not simple problems of addition or subtraction or even just your common garden variety story problems. No, these are like weapons. And if she hadn't reminded me about how Ken sees important dates, we'd still be nowhere, since I doubt anyone else would have thought of that particular day as anything special—”

“Open the file that says red tape,” Waka ordered. Toma looked over with a frown, and Ikki shrugged as he clicked on it.

“Is that... handwritten?”

“Ken might have done it on his tablet,” Ikki said, frowning at the screen. “Oh, hell.”

“What?” Sawa asked, frowning. She was worried, probably scared, and Toma couldn't blame her for that.

 _“'Too much hassle in getting the evidence even factoring in animosity from at least one Kyoto forensics lab. Eguchi lacks that power and has even been humiliated, yet the request remains denied. If that is—_ Okay, that part even I can't read and I know Ken's handwriting best of all of us _—It seems that any efforts by Gatou have failed as well. Feeling excessively paranoid. Again. Judgment is compromised. Has been since I took this case. I don't—I should never have gotten near her. Still, I feel almost certain that the “evidence” supposedly held for the case is actually not evidence at all. It's a trip wire, an alert. Anyone asking for the evidence tells this killer that someone is looking at their crime, that they could be exposed. And I made the request through official channels. He knows. This killer knows I've uncovered all of this.'”_

“Damn it,” Shin said. “He knew.”

“Shin, look at the date on the file,” Toma said, not wanting this to go down that path again. Shin grimaced, muttering to himself again.

“What is it?” Mine asked. “What's so important about that date?”

“It's the same day Kent got the concussion,” Ukyo answered her. “The day he almost died, the one he can't remember.”

“He figured it out, and then forgot?” Kokoa asked, wincing. “Then... he... he didn't know how much danger he was in, did he? He said he had to rebuild what he did on the case...”

“Yes,” Waka said. That was enough, really, that one word.

“Isn't it a let down knowing that there isn't actually any evidence?” Sawa asked. “Weren't you counting on that as proof?”

“Actually, it makes a lot more sense to me that there isn't any,” Toma said. He saw the looks he got and shrugged. “Kent's too good of a researcher not to have tested any evidence he got his hands on, and if he had tested anything, he'd have had forensic proof to back his theory. He wouldn't hold it back because of his doubts—he wouldn't even have doubts. And we discussed what the evidence might be that would be so important to him—”

“But he tortured Kent and the girl to get it,” Shin said. “Why would he be so set on getting it back if he knew it wasn't real?”

“Does he know it's not real?” Waka asked. “If we are dealing with multiple personalities, as you have theorized, one may well be unaware of the others and their actions. He might believe the evidence is a genuine threat when it is not. He did not ask for anything specific, did he?”

Kokoa shook her head. “He said he knew Kent gave 'it' to me, but he never said what 'it' was.”

“Then it is possible it isn't real,” Waka said. “It is also possible that if Kent was still having trouble with the red tape, then he never actually got the evidence, whatever it is.”

“It's not enough,” Shin said. “None of this tells us where Kent is now.”

“No, but this might,” Toma said, pulling up the alert that just came across the screen. “There's been an explosion in a parking garage, and the address is right in the gap between those cameras.”

* * *

“I want to see it.”

Kent frowned, trying to process why he hadn't been killed yet. A moment ago, Watanbe had been set upon that path. He'd been ready to kill them both, and it seemed certain that was what was coming, but now—was Kent wrong to think the man's voice was different now? No, that was irrational.

“The explosion? You have to watch the fire?”

That made Watanbe laugh, and it sounded a lot like the deranged version from the voice messages, the one that the others had heard.

“No,” Watanbe said, reaching over to pat Kent's cheek and making him shudder with revulsion. “I want to see my work.”

“What?”

Watanbe grinned in a way that was far from sane, moving his hand down and trying to lift up Kent's shirt. His fingers grazed the scarred flesh on Kent's side, and he jerked away from him, needing to get completely out of reach as the same feeling of panic started to overtake him.

“No.”

“Oh, I have to see it. I'm sure it's glorious, my best work,” Watanbe went on, trying to get his hand under Kent's shirt again.

Sheer desperation gave Kent strength he didn't think he had, and he kicked Watanbe back, forcing him off. He dragged himself up with the help of the car's grill, forcing himself toward the next handhold, the mirror, and then pushing on again.

He had to keep moving. He'd gotten back up again, hadn't thought he could, but he was up now, so he had to keep going. He'd go for the stairs, like he'd meant to circle back to before. He heard Watanbe behind him and increased his pace, his whole body protesting his actions. His arm was throbbing, and his stomach heaved even as his legs threatened to go out from under him at any second.

He made it a few steps forward before Watanbe knocked him down. Kent hit the concrete with a groan, unable to stop Watanbe's hands as they pushed his shirt up.

Watanbe leaned down into his ear. “Oh, this is beautiful. Just like I thought it would be.”

Kent gagged, almost vomiting again as Watanbe continued to enjoy his work.

“You are my finest work,” Watanbe said, moving his fingers along Kent's scars. “It's glorious. I thought I'd never get to see it. I couldn't help thinking about it. Every day I thought about you. You were always on my mind. I missed you so much.”

Kent almost smiled. “It is... with some satisfaction... I tell you—I didn't think... of you... at all. Not once.”

“Impossible.”

“You blamed the yakuza... for my family's death, and I understood... the people responsible... were dealt with, so... there was no... reason to... dwell on that. You were completely forgotten.”

Enraged, Watanbe let out a snarl and stabbed Kent in the side, leaning over him as he hissed his words. “You're lying.”

“I'm not. I lack... the skill... to do that... without omission,” Kent told him, wondering if he would pass out again. “No, there are... gaps in... my memory, and you fell... into them. I had forgotten... all about you.”

“Impossible. We are... We're the other halves of each other. Like night and day, one of us can't exist without the other.”

“I existed... just fine... without you,” Kent said. That was not entirely true, but it was true enough that he knew it wouldn't seem like a lie. “I didn't think of you once, whereas you... were clearly obsessed... with me. Pathetic, actually.”

Watanbe ripped the knife out and glared at Kent. A sudden tire squeal stopped Watanbe before he stabbed Kent again. He yanked Kent back as a car swung up the ramp, coming to a stop in between them and the burning wreck of Watanbe's vehicle.

“What do they think they're doing here?”

Kent snorted. “Did you... really think... no one would notice... you setting off... explosion in... parking garage? You are... a fool.”

Watanbe plunged the knife into him again. Kent stared at the blade for a moment, trying to understand why he hadn't cried out—that had hurt and it took him by surprise and there was no good reason not to yell if someone was near, though there was a slight chance it was a civilian and that could be disastrous for them—but he didn't make any noise. He couldn't seem to make his voice work. 

“Don't think that they'll save you. They won't. We die together, as we should.”

* * *

“I wish we could have gone with them,” Orion said, fidgeting in his chair. “It's not easy being stuck back waiting. Again.”

Kokoa looked at her hands. She would rather have gone with them if she could have, since she was still worried about Kent and wanted to see him as soon as possible, but she knew that they would be in the way of any investigation, and if the worst was true, if—Oh, she didn't want to think about Kent being dead, but if he was, she didn't want to see him like that, even if it would be the last time.

No, it couldn't be. She couldn't accept that. She hadn't before, and she couldn't now.

Orion touched her arm. “Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should—”

“I'd only be able to sleep if I took medication, and I'd rather not do that,” she told him. “I know it's kind of silly, but I feel like I need to be awake, like if I am, and I stay like this... he'll be okay.”

“Oh, that is like, so sweet,” Mine said, smiling. Sawa nodded in agreement. “You could have told us how you felt, you know.”

Kokoa grimaced. She didn't know what to say about any of this. She looked at her hands. “I didn't know.”

“You mean you forgot?” Orion asked, frowning. Then he shook his head. “I don't understand. You never said anything. You never even mentioned Kent to me before, but you... you care a lot about him, don't you?”

She bit her lip. “I... I didn't know how I felt about Kent, and what he's said—what we've both said—about fighting a lot is true. We did fight, almost every day at first, but then... things did change between us, and I don't think... I didn't realize it when it happened. I don't think Kent did, either. It was so subtle... it snuck up on me... I didn't even know that I'd started to see him as anything more than a customer until... well, until he took care of me that one time, and then... I backed away from it so fast I wouldn't be surprised if he thought I was crazy. I know I was mean and rude, and I... I didn't even acknowledge that we were... friends. Not before his parents died. He really does think I hated him, and... I gave him reason to. I let him believe that. I'm not proud of it, and I don't know that he'll ever believe that I didn't mean those terrible things I said... I... if he dies still thinking that...”

“He won't,” Sawa said, and Kokoa looked at her. How could she possibly be so sure of that? 

Kent was in the hands of a psychotic killer who was obsessed with him. He wasn't safe. He was going to be hurt and maybe dead and if she hadn't distracted him at the door, if he hadn't sacrificed himself to protect her, he'd be okay now.

“I don't know him very well,” Orion began, “but Kent is strong and stubborn. He's fought through a lot in the past couple days, and... I want to believe he'll be okay.”

She tried to force a smile for Orion, wanting to believe that, too, but she'd seen that side of Kent that scared her, the one that had him convinced that sacrificing himself for everyone was for the best, and that part of him... that worried her. She was scared for him, too scared.

She hated this. She felt helpless all over again, and it wasn't even that she was injured or couldn't remember or wasn't strong enough. She didn't have anything she could do to help Kent. At all.

“Neesan?”

“I just wish there was something I could do,” she said. She sighed. “I don't know. Back when I couldn't see him at the hospital, I... I took the flowers that I couldn't give him and I... I put them at his parents' graves. It wasn't much, and he probably wouldn't even have wanted it, but I did it anyway because it helped. Now, here... I don't know what to do.”

“Well,” Mine began, looking at Sawa. “The two of us could probably help by doing some stuff around here like laundry and cleaning, the dishes, even, but you... you can't. You're still injured.”

Kokoa nodded. She knew that. She could feel it, but she didn't want drugs. She knew it might be easier just to sleep until they told her what happened to Kent, but she couldn't. She didn't want to go to sleep hoping he was alive only to wake to find out he was dead.

She was going to wait and hope, maybe even pray.

* * *

“You can't go through there. The bomb squad hasn't cleared this area yet.”

Waka gave the uniformed officer who'd spoken a look, and the man flinched back, looking like he wanted a place to hide. Shin had no sympathy for him. If he recognized Waka, he knew better than to get in his way, and even at a distance, Waka looked damned angry right now.

If Kent died—Shin didn't even want to think about that.

“My team will assist with clearing the perimeter,” Waka said in his usual tone that no one argued with, not even those of them on the task force. “Ukyo, I want pictures of everything.”

Ukyo nodded, already at work snapping pictures from all sorts of angles. Shin figured he'd started as soon as he got out of the car. He knew that was how Ukyo felt the most comfortable and the most useful, and with Kent in trouble, they'd all fall back to comfort zones, even Shin.

“Any idea what happened to the security video from this facility?” Toma asked the officer, who just gulped at him, eyes wide with fear. Shin shook his head. Waka was one thing, but Toma? He had everyone fooled into thinking he was a nice guy.

“You are useless,” Waka said. “Go. Now.”

And the man did, running so fast he almost fell over. Waka sighed, reaching up to pinch his nose, frustration all over him.

“I don't suppose you have any of those... I don't know... ninja senses right now,” Ikki said, looking around the lot, far from his usual self. Shin thought he was close to panicking now. “Any at all, Waka?”

“We're going to have to look around,” Toma told him. “Find some sign of what the transfer vehicle might have been.”

“I don't suppose it's that one,” Ukyo said, lowering his camera for a moment and pointing across the lot. “I mean, I know that the explosion went off almost right next to it, but... I still don't believe that would open the trunk. Would it?”

“It shouldn't,” Toma said, thinking aloud, “but if that was the car that Watanbe was using—”

“It can't be,” Shin said. “He would have made the switch and been gone by now. The explosion is a diversion to waste our time and keep us from getting any information on where he took Kent.”

Ikki shook his head. “Ken was awake, right? If he broke those tail lights, then maybe he was able to do something when Watanbe tried to switch cars.”

Shin almost told Ikki not to get his hopes up, but he stopped himself. He refused to fight in front of the other cops, and Ikki was definitely on edge right now. Shin knew they'd settle what they started earlier once this whole thing was over, but they had to find out what happened to Kent first.

“Wait,” Waka said, holding up a hand. “I smell something.”

“Seriously?” Shin asked, frowning. He knew he was never going to understand Waka completely, and that was how Waka wanted it—he was able to cause so much fear because he was so mysterious, but damn, this got irritating sometimes.

“A smell?” Toma asked with a frown. “What, like the burned out ruin over there?”

Waka shook his head. “Blood.”

“Okay, that's just creepy,” Shin muttered, knowing he wasn't the only one who thought that.

“Ken?” Ikki went pale and took off running, calling out to Kent as he did. The other officers looked up from their work on the car, frowning, but none of them went after him.

“Come on,” Toma said. “It'll go faster if we help him look, and if it's not Kent—or if it is—Ikki shouldn't be alone.”

Shin nodded, though he knew Ikki didn't want him around. He followed Toma anyway, aware that Waka was making his own slow progress toward them, not one to be unnerved in front of others, even if it was Kent they were looking for and Waka had known him longer than anyone else that they were aware of—he never spoke of his past, and no old friends had ever dropped by before.

Waka with friends. That was just weird.

Shin shook it off as Ikki disappeared behind another car. He hurried after him, though Toma almost blocked him from getting close enough to where Ikki had stopped.

“Damn, that's a lot of blood,” Toma said. He swallowed. “Ikki?”

“Come on, Ken, look at me,” Ikki said, and Shin shoved Toma to see around him. It was a lot of blood, but most of it was actually puddled under Watanbe, who had a blade jutting out of his stomach. “Ken, please. Don't quit now. We're here. We found you and... and you're going to make it, okay?”

“He's breathing,” Waka said, stopping at the car's fender. “I can tell that much from here.”

Yeah, sure, breathing, but even with Ikki mostly blocking the view, Shin could tell that Kent was a mess. His shirt was torn in at least three places, all of them bloody, and it wouldn't be hard to believe that it wasn't Waka's superhuman hearing but just wishful thinking to say Kent was actually alive.

“Ken?”

“Didn't... ever... tell... you... what... they said... about... having another child...”

“What?” Shin asked. “Is this about the case, Kent?”

“No,” Ikki said. “Look, Ken, just save your—”

“Said... they always trusted... that if it was going... to happen... it would... as a natural occurrence... proper genetic match,” Kent said, “and then... it never did... but... you came... and claimed them... and it had... nothing to do... with genetics... You formed a bond... they had theories... biological imperatives... but... they said... you were... family. Not just you, Ikkyu. All of them... I never said... it was easier... when there were no... attachments...”

“When you didn't think there were any, you mean.”

“I... owed you the truth,” Kent whispered. “Now, I... I'm tired. Ikkyu... I... she won't even want it, but... you would watch over her... wouldn't you? And... her brother... and... the team... that is for Waka but... for you, too... don't.... I am not... an excuse... to drink yourself... to death.”

“Ken, don't you dare do this. You are not dying on me,” Ikki insisted. “I'm not making any promises because you know better than that. I don't—you know I would, but I don't have to because you're going to be there.”

“I stalled... as long as I could... didn't want him... to be right... and kill us both, but stalling... it wasn't enough.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They work and wait for word on Kent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually managed a quick turn around on this. I'm proud of that. And glad, since I was afraid it would take longer and getting caught up in a different visual novel that had such a tragic ending threatened to keep me from making progress, but I actually think this chapter worked out somewhat well...
> 
> I think the chapter kind of had to end this way, though it might seem to be a bit predictable.

* * *

“I think Waka's going to kill someone,” Toma whispered in Shin's ear, but Shin didn't even grunt in response. So much for humor defusing any of this situation, then. He hadn't really thought it would work, not when things were as bad as they were. Watanbe was dead, though no one was sure how that happened, not yet, since Kent was in no state to tell them. He'd made an effort to say a strange goodbye to Ikki and then passed out.

He hadn't woke back up, and he might not. They still didn't know at this point.

“Fine,” Toma said. “How long do you think it will be before he sends one of us back to the house to check on the others?”

Shin grimaced. “Should already have done it. Still not sure why Waka left them without protection, even if it is Kent's house. They might be stupid enough to leave.”

Toma laughed a little. “Uh, Shin, I'm pretty sure Kent's house works in the opposite direction, too. The fort keeps people out, but it also keeps them in.”

Shin shook his head. “We never needed a code to leave before.”

“Because Kent would never have set that for one of us, but you can be sure Waka set it for them,” Toma said. “Right, boss?”

Waka looked over at them. “It would be imprudent to allow anything to happen to our witnesses. We are not certain Watanbe acted alone. That said, I'd expected to use you five in the search, not in waiting around here.”

“Not sure which is worse,” Shin said. “Waiting around doing nothing or getting stuck babysitting.”

“I would not expect you to do nothing were you to leave,” Waka said. “I understand you are all experiencing some level of shock, but is that a real reason why none of you have looked at the files Kent left for us in the online storage?”

“Uh,” Toma said, stiffening. He didn't always have a tablet with him, though he'd brought one along when they left Kent's place, since they were still tracking other possible locations in case the explosion was just a front. He hadn't even thought about using it here, though. Damn it. “Right. I'll work on that.”

“Ken may have made more notes in the files,” Ikki said. “I'd start with them first. If he took the time to add the one, his other ones will be there, too. It really was a fail safe.”

“Ikki,” Ukyo said, “I don't think that Kent did any of it planning on getting himself killed. He was worried, and there was a lot going on at the time, but he would probably have included his notes no matter what he did. We just can't prove they were in any of his other backups because they're all missing or destroyed.”

Shin frowned, and Toma put a hand on his arm. Asking what had happened to the one at Kent's house wouldn't do them any good. Kent must have buried them somewhere, somewhere he hadn't seen them when he got out of the hospital. Toma figured it must have been something Kent stuck someplace he never went, just in case, and that was why he hadn't stumbled onto it afterward. A safe place could be more dangerous than leaving something loose if you couldn't remember where it was, and Kent didn't.

“Ukyo, I really don't want to be pacified right now—”

“It is unlikely that the file was only meant in the case of Kent's death,” Waka said. “He was under other threats as well as aware of a possible traitor in the department. He would have wanted to ensure the work he'd done survived.”

“Only he didn't remember where he put it.”

“Much like someone and the car keys whenever he uses one from the department,” Waka said, and Shin frowned. Toma laughed. As responsible as his brother was, he almost never turned back in the keys properly. “Even fully aware of what Watanbe planned to do, Kent could not have predicted that he would develop this problem with his memory.”

“Did anyone ever check up on his shrink?” Toma asked, curious. “She's not one of the other victims, is she?”

Waka shook his head. “No. She left on vacation this week and apparently her office did not relay that message to Kent. Or me. I am displeased, of course, and may look for an alternative to her as she has not been much help to Kent.”

“Part of that, I think, is that Kent didn't remember everything,” Ukyo said. “Now that he does, he may actually be able to move forward. And he'll be able to resolve his issues with Kokoa as well, which should help even more.”

“You're romanticizing it. A lot,” Shin said. “Love isn't just going to cure Kent like none of this happened. That's not how it works. And you're assuming too much anyway.”

Toma didn't think so. It had become increasingly clear just what Kent felt for Kokoa, and while she might not have been completely obvious about it, she'd shown plenty herself. That wasn't just kindness, her being nice for nice's sake. She cared about Kent.

“You and Ukyo can return to Kent's house, verify that the others are well, and work on the files. Toma has access to them here, so he can start dividing them up. I want to cross-reference them all and see if there is any way to tie them to Watanbe.”

“Why don't you let Ukyo do that and take Shin with you when you search Watanbe's place?” Toma asked. “I mean, you are planning on doing that, aren't you?”

“You don't have to watch over me, either, though I know that's why you're not making Toma leave,” Ikki said. “You may as well take Toma with you—Watanbe has places in both names, and the ones in Kyoto will need to be searched plus anywhere he might feel safe storing souvenirs from his kills. This guy... I think he's that type.”

Toma nodded. “I agree. Gotta figure he enjoyed getting away with it even more when he was sitting at home gloating over something that belonged to his victims, and since he burned a lot of them, he could take things from them freely. No one would even know.”

Shin grimaced. “It'll make it easier to tie things to him, but I hate these guys.”

“We will need that evidence,” Waka said. “Ikki—”

“I didn't actually promise him I wouldn't lose myself in a bottle, but I'm not going to start while we're still waiting for word. And I don't need my hand held. If you really think I do... Have Ukyo bring the girls back here. Kokoa should be here, even if none of the others are.”

Shin elbowed Toma, and he frowned, even though he knew what his brother was after.

“You... seem a little... too calm right now, Ikki. Last time Kent was here, you... we were all worried about you. And he's not in better shape this time, not really. It's still bad, so... I don't think anyone wants to leave you alone here.”

“We're more than an investigative team,” Ukyo said. “We're friends. Family. I know we have a responsibility to investigate this to the end, wrap it all up properly and be sure that it ends with Watanbe, but we... we're human. Aren't we allowed a bit of time to watch over our friend? I know some of us prefer action, but we shouldn't be ashamed of wanting to be here.”

“No one said we were,” Toma told him. He wasn't, but then he also was someone who'd rather be doing something. “It'd probably be better if we crowded in on Kent later, right? You are planning on moving him to a private hospital later, aren't you?”

Ikki nodded. “Soon as is I can after he's out of surgery. I don't want to do anything that will put him at risk again, but... I don't want him in a regular hospital, and I've got the money. It may as well go to a good use. I... I can't let them do that to him again. And... it's going to be worse this time.”

“This isn't the same hospital,” Shin said. “What are you talking about?”

Waka adjusted his glasses, looking pained. “What he means is that the staff and others may well speak behind Kent's back not about his injuries but about his inability to defend himself—or that he defended himself too well.”

Ukyo's eyes widened. “What?”

Toma winced. “I suppose some idiots would think with Kent's size he'd be almost impossible to kidnap, that he should have been able to fight back and win without it ever getting this far—they don't know that he was already sick as a dog before he got drugged a second time or that there was another person involved he was trying to protect and damn it, if he killed Watanbe, it was in self-defense, not that the bastard didn't deserve it.”

“That doesn't always matter,” Shin said, more aware of that than most. “Ikki's right. We should move him as soon as we can. He doesn't need to hear that kind of crap, and we're going to make damned sure the gossip mill at the station is clear on things if we have to beat it into them.”

Waka smiled faintly. “I appreciate the enthusiasm, Shin, but perhaps it is best you leave that aspect to me. Still, you all have work to do. Get to it.”

* * *

Orion looked up as someone walked in the door, biting his lip. He both wanted to know and didn't all at the same time. Had they found Kent? Was he alive? Or... was he dead? What did they do if... No, he didn't want to think that. He didn't want to believe Kent was dead, not just for Neesan's sake, though he knew she'd be very upset, never forgive herself, maybe, and that wasn't okay. They needed to talk again, maybe even be friends now.

He reached for Neesan's hand even though she had closed her eyes and was probably sleeping in spite of her intention to stay awake.

“Ukyo?”

The other man smiled at them. “I'm glad you're all well.”

“Forget that,” Mine said, folding her arms over her chest. “We weren't able to go anywhere, so why worry about us?”

“Mine,” Sawa said. “How is—did you find Kent? Is he okay?”

Ukyo's smile got a bit tense. “We found Kent. He was alive when we did, but... he is in bad shape all the same, and he was still in surgery when I left the hospital.”

“At least he's alive,” Orion said, and the girls nodded, sitting back with relief. They almost seemed like players on Ikki's show they were being so dramatic.

“Can we see him?” Neesan asked, opening her eyes and looking up at Ukyo. “Please. I know that no one is going to want to move me again, and they'll be mad if I try and walk again, but if it is as bad as it sounds... Kent could... I want to see him this time. I need to. Please.”

Ukyo laughed a little. “Oh, we were already planning on that, actually.”

“What?”

“You were?”

Ukyo nodded. “Yes. Ikki pushed for it, but Waka clearly agreed, and so did Toma and even Shin, though you wouldn't know it to look at him. Of course, we're also planning on moving Kent to a private facility, so we'll probably end up waiting for when that happens.”

“Oh,” Mine said, giving Neesan a glance, “how long will that take?”

“If Kent's in surgery, they won't be able to move him right away, will they?” Neesan asked with a frown. “And then... if they do... won't they refuse to let us see him for a while after that? Ukyo, I know you probably have orders, but... take me to Kent now. Please.”

Ukyo grimaced. “There isn't really even space in the waiting room, and you're already injured. You shouldn't be doing a lot of moving around, and there'd be no place for you to rest.”

She shook her head. “I can't rest right now. I... When Kent was hurt before, he went in believing I hated him, that I thought he was a monster. And he carried that with him afterward, and it hurt him for two years but he didn't even—he didn't tell anyone about it, not even Ikki, so no one told him how wrong it was—it doesn't matter if he should have known, that sort of thing isn't logical—and he could die thinking I still feel that way, that I meant it... I can't let that happen, Ukyo. I tried before, but what I said wasn't enough. This might not be enough, either, but I have to do it. I have to see him.”

“Kokoa—”

“And even though a part of me didn't ever really accept that Kent was dead before, I didn't even get to say goodbye,” Neesan said. “I want that chance this time. I don't want to believe he'll die, no, but I have to... I have to see him. I have to have that last moment.”

Ukyo winced. He reached up and touched his eye. Orion frowned.

“Are you crying?”

Ukyo nodded. “I am. It's just... well, it's not just the sentiment, though that's beautiful despite how bittersweet it is, and it's more than you being so determined right now, though that's very admirable. It's that... well, I suppose I am a bit of a crybaby anyway, but it's very touching, and I wish I'd been taking pictures through your whole speech.”

She flushed. “Um, Ukyo...”

“I'm a bit jealous, too, like Ikki would say, that you care so much about Kent, but then I'm also glad,” Ukyo said. “Kent doesn't really let his feelings show, and he tries his best to keep us all at a distance, but it was obvious he cared about you. It's good he has someone else who cares about him. He lost his parents, and I know how devastating it can be to lose family. So do you, I know, so you understand that well, even if Kent will say his relationship with his parents was different.”

“They were still his parents,” Orion said, since he knew that Kent cared a lot about them, even if he didn't show it well at first. He was so upset when he talked about that dinner and he blamed himself, so he really did care. A lot more than he'd probably realized.

“Very true.”

“So... you're taking us, right?” Mine asked, eyes on Ukyo. “Because you know she's not going to take no for an answer, and no one wins with Kokoa.”

“Um...”

* * *

“Are we sure they didn't beat us to this place?” Shin asked, taking a step inside Watanbe's apartment and frowning as he looked around at the mess. Someone had worked this place over good, too good. He wasn't sure anything here would be of any use, and he had to wonder why it hadn't been set on fire or something.

“No, I believe this may have been the work of the occupant himself,” Waka said, navigating the debris strewn floor with ease.

Shin grimaced. They'd forgotten to bring Ukyo along to do the cataloging of all of this, though Waka had some interest in photography as a hobby. He could probably do it if he wanted to, but Shin didn't know if he'd brought a camera with him.

“Watanbe did this?” Shin asked, taking another look. He supposed the destruction was too much for sloppy police work, and most of the department, even if they hated Watanbe, didn't have any idea the kind of sicko he really was.

“If, as we've theorized, he did actually believe that Kent was dead, then he may well have done this after learning of his survival. The frustration of his prey escaping through his fingers for two years would have angered him greatly.”

Shin nodded. “That, and he could just have had a psychotic break or something. If he did have multiple personalities, one of them could have done this. Only question is... why didn't the neighbors notice? This wasn't quiet work.”

Waka frowned, crossing to the connecting wall and tapping on it. “Hmm. This seems rather solid, perhaps even enough to make it so sound would not pass through it. I would think the part of Watanbe that was a methodical planner would have wanted to be sure of something like that when he rented anywhere.”

That was true. Even if the guy wasn't dealing with multiple personalities, he wouldn't want his neighbors overhearing anything. “So they maybe they missed this.”

“Your tone is suggestive.”

“Uh...”

“In that you don't think there's any point in continuing here,” Waka said, a slight smile on his face, and Shin tried not to ball a fist. Damn, he'd walked right into that. “I also see little value in it myself. With this much destruction, it is unlikely anything useful remains. Anything of value to Watanbe would not be here.”

“The other apartment, then?”

“More likely it is wherever he intended to take Kent,” Waka said. “I would not be surprised if he intended to show Kent every souvenir he ever took.”

Shin grimaced. “Because he got it in his head that Kent was his equal or rival or whatever the hell it is with them.”

“Exactly. Only Kent could appreciate his work because only Kent saw it before, though had this case started in Tokyo and not Kyoto, I think it may have gotten our attention sooner. That many accidents or suicides would have attracted some notice here.”

“Are you blaming Kyoto, then?”

Waka folded his arms behind his back as he studied a painting hanging crookedly on the wall. “Not entirely, no. If he was careful enough, it could well have slipped past them—they were carefully designed as accidents or suicides, after all—and we haven't ruled out the possibility that he was getting help from Eguchi. He did have help here.”

“That idiot that almost got Kent killed,” Shin said. “That seems a little... off, though. As obsessed with Kent as that guy was, why would he leave killing Kent in someone else's hands? Was it because he was one of us? He was afraid to go after Kent directly?”

“It was a risk, as was using that man to arrange it, though he could hardly be assured that Kent would die there,” Waka said. He closed his eyes. “It was likely a test to see how Kent would fair in direct confrontation. Given Kent's ability to defend himself against a sudden attack in a closed room without a weapon... It may well be that Watanbe realized he would not win against Kent, either, and adapted his plan, using the bomb and the yakuza instead.”

“This just gets worse.”

“Indeed. Let us hope, then, that is over with Watanbe's death.”

* * *

“Oh,” Toma said, drawing Ikki's attention to the group coming toward them down the hall. “That must have been interesting to explain to security.”

“I had a feeling this would happen,” Ikki said, unable to stop the smile in spite of everything. Sending Ukyo had almost guaranteed that it would end up like this, no matter how prudent people wanted to be about things. Toma had ended up staying to babysit him while looking up parts of the case, Shin and Waka were working, and only Ukyo could really have gone, but as Ukyo was the team's bleeding heart, there was no way he'd stand against Kokoa or any of the others.

“Yeah. Me, too,” Toma agreed. “Though I'm surprised they let him carry her like that instead of trying to admit her or something.”

“Oh,” Ikki said. “I'm more surprised she let him carry her.”

Toma shrugged as the others got closer. “You've got decent timing, Ukyo.”

“Decent?” Orion asked, giving Toma a worried look.

“They came a few minutes ago to say that Ken was done in surgery and they'd be moving him to a room. We should be able to go in and see him in a bit, though they are definitely not going to like how many of us are here.”

“Where are the others?” Mine asked. “I don't see Waka or Shin.”

“Watanbe might be dead, but we still have some work to do,” Toma told her. “Shin and Waka took those jobs, I've been doing stuff here, and Ukyo was supposed to be watching over you at Kent's house.”

Kokoa got down from Ukyo's arms, sitting down and folding her arms over her chest. Despite her injuries, she was fierce. “I refuse to sit there and do nothing. Kent... In part, this is still all my fault for involving him, but also... I didn't do enough earlier. I saw how much Kent was blaming himself for forgetting and for his parents and... everything. He was taking the blame for too much, and I was scared for him, but I didn't say what I should have until it was too late. He didn't... he told me it made more sense if it was just him, and then that man came, and he told Kent if Kent went with him, he'd spare me, and Kent would have done it if I hadn't fallen and torn my stitches again. It was because of that that Kent got stabbed with the needle and then... he still fought to protect me, made sure I got inside safely... He didn't. And that—it's not okay. It can't be. I...”

“You can't lose him,” Ikki said. He reached over to put a hand on her shoulder. “I know. I mean, not like you do, I'm not in love with Ken, just... he's my best friend and archrival and only family worth having.”

Orion's eyes got big and he turned to his sister as Mine giggled. Sawa frowned at her.

“I should have listened to you earlier, when you asked me to go after him,” Ikki said. “I thought it was the same as always, and I let him go because he prefers that, but... you were right. He was in a dark place, and I should have seen it.”

“It's not your fault,” Sawa told him, and Ikki looked at her with a frown. “None of us stopped Kent then, and everyone was putting a lot of pressure on you to know how to handle Kent instead of doing it themselves. Not that Kent wanted it, but they did sort of... expect you to fix anything that went wrong with Kent, and that's not right, either.”

Ikki found himself smiling again. “Thank you for that, but I am sort of the expert no matter what. I have known Ken since we were kids, and I've been the one taking care of him through this whole thing, so I should have known.”

“What if we just agree that no one blames anyone else anymore?” Orion asked, getting everyone's attention. “There's way too much blame going around on everyone right now—people blaming Kent for forgetting, him blaming himself for that and what happened to his parents and getting this guy's attention, but then Neesan blames herself for bringing him the case and being terrible to him, and you blame yourself for not being at dinner and not fixing Kent and then the others blame themselves for not knowing what was going on with Kent for the last two years and not making more of an effort to see him and also for not knowing what to do to help. Even Sawa and Mine have taken blame and me, too, so can we just... stop it? No more blame. We all forgive each other and go forward because that's the only thing we can do.”

“You're a very smart kid,” Ikki told him, reaching over to ruffle his hair. “I don't know that any of us can, but we might just have to try.”

* * *

“I think this seat is yours, my lady,” Ikki said, setting Kokoa down next to the bed. She tried to force a smile, but seeing Kent there, hooked up to so many machines unsettled her, and she couldn't hardly think.

They hadn't covered him up other than the blanket on the lower half of his body, leaving the bandages on his arm and chest as well as his scars exposed. Only a little came over his shoulders, but they still ran down his arms. He'd suffered so much.

Ikki sighed. “It's not that bad.”

“I... that's a lot of gauze,” she said, looking up at him. “The doctors really said he'd be okay?”

Ikki shook his head. “They didn't make any promises. The cuts missed his vital organs, but the blade went in deep, and so there's still plenty of chance of infection and other complications. He also lost a lot of blood.”

She winced and reached for Kent's hand, cradling it in hers. “Oh, Kent.”

“It really doesn't bother you, all the scars and stuff?” Mine asked, and Kokoa looked over at her. She shrank back a little, like she was trying to hide behind Sawa. “I just... if his arms are like that, his back is—”

“Scars are part of what makes us who we are, and while I would gladly spare Kent the pain if it was in my power to do so, I can't turn my back on him because he has some. I do, too, and while they may not be as bad as his, I don't think I'll ever want to be in a swimsuit again—”

“Such a shame.”

“Ikki!” Orion said, swatting him on the arm. “Enough of that.”

“Hey, I know she's taken, but I can still tease my future sister-in-law a little, right?” Ikki asked, reaching down to ruffle Orion's hair. “I think I get along well with little brother already.”

“Uh...” Orion flushed red, completely thrown off by Ikki's words. “Um...”

“Ikki, stop teasing him,” Toma said. He sighed. “Look, I know it's your thing, and you're doing it in part because any second now Kent could wake up and say 'Ikkyu' that way that he does, but you're confusing the kid and embarrassing Kokoa.”

“I thought we agreed we weren't keeping things from him anymore,” Ikki said, looking at Neesan and ignoring Toma. “Well?”

Kokoa shook her head. “I haven't even managed to convince Kent that I don't hate him. You're getting way ahead of yourself.”

“Ah, so we should leave the two of you alone for a private confession?”

She sighed, frustrated. Ikki made jokes, trying to cover how he felt or make people more at ease, but this was not the time or the place for it. She knew they were all stressed waiting for Kent to wake up—if he was going to—and Ikki would joke even more when he was upset as he had to be, but this was so embarrassing.

“Because if you want us to—”

“Ikki, stop,” she said, lowering her head and aware her face was flaming red. She didn't even know what she'd say to Kent if he was awake, but this was not how she wanted it to happen. “I know you're worried about Kent, but joking like this is... wrong.”

“I'm not joking,” Ikki said. “I want to make sure you have a chance to say what you need to say.”

“Yes, but you're going on and on like I'm in love with him and going to marry him as soon as he wakes up, and I don't even—I missed him. I missed him so much when he didn't come into the cafe and we thought he was dead. And I accepted that because it was my fault and I was too ashamed to call him and apologize, and I was afraid he had to be dead though I never saw his grave go in next to his parents' when I was putting the flowers I couldn't give him on their plot, but I... Kent never... we never even said we were close to friends, and you don't just... say stuff like that, and not in front of everyone. I wanted to tell him I didn't hate him and to thank him and admit I was grateful, really grateful for all his help, but too full of pride to ever say so. It wasn't that I hated him. I was a coward. And today... he could have died trying to save me, and I... I knew I couldn't stand losing him, not again, but... that's not... I almost regret forcing Ukyo to bring us here now because you... you're pushing too hard and too much and I can't say what I feel because I don't even know what it is...”

“Pretty sure the rest of us know.”

“Toma, not you, too.”

“Hey, at least I'm not taking pictures.”

Her head jerked up. “What? No. Ukyo, you didn't. I... Oh, no... I...”

“...Regret... you ever... came into contact... with them...”

She shook her head. “They're not usually this bad, but I... it's hard enough to overcome my pride without having people watch me stumble over doing it. I thought I'd prepared a speech in the car that I could say but I sat down and it didn't... it's not right, and Ikki keeps teasing me and... Kent?”


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kent wakes in the hospital, and the investigation continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't think it would be as difficult to get this chapter done and wrap the story up before November and Nano, but I was wrong. Oops.
> 
> Well, it's progressing, at least.

* * *

She looked over to see his eyes clouded with confusion and pain. Was he really awake? Or was this just some kind of involuntary reaction? Or... How much of that had he heard? She wanted the ground to swallow her up, wanted to run and hide and die of embarrassment now. Had Ikki known that Kent was awake when he kept pushing her? She hadn't looked at Kent's face, too busy being embarrassed or angry at Ikki, and so she couldn't be sure how long Kent was awake.

And even if his eyes had been closed, he could have been awake for a lot longer before he spoke.

Oh, this was awful.

“Good to see your eyes open,” Toma said, giving Kent a genuine smile. “You gave us all another scare. You should have seen Ikki. Ukyo missed the pictures of that, though.”

“Toma, that's not funny,” Ukyo said, and it looked like he was close to tears again. He gave Kent a warm smile. “We were all worried, though, and I am relieved to see you awake.”

“I don't know that we'll feel completely relieved until you're out of here, Ken, but it is damned good to see your eyes open,” Ikki said, choking up a little. “You tried to give me a farewell speech, and I'm not sure I can forgive you for that... you... you're not the type. You don't do goodbyes like that, even if death is logical and... Don't do this to me again. I'm...”

Ikki fell silent for a few minutes, and she could tell that his real feelings had overtaken him. He looked at Kent, unable to summon any more words.

Toma cleared his throat awkwardly. “You think you can tell us anything about what happened? Was it just Watanbe, or was there someone else around? Did he kill himself or did—”

“Toma,” Kokoa found her voice again. “Now you're pushing Kent. You don't have to do that now. There's time for that later, and he's barely awake. You don't have to have all the answers now.”

Kent turned his head toward her when she spoke. “....Dreaming... again...?”

She shook her head, covering his hand with hers again. “No, not this time. I wanted to see you, even if it was... I needed to see you. I was worried about you, and I thought... if I hadn't distracted you, you'd have been... you...”

She lowered her head. Now it was coming out wrong again. This wasn't just about her feeling guilty, though she had a lot to explain and make up for, since she had said terrible things and let him believe the worst.

She swallowed. “I wanted you to live. I need you to know that even if everything else gets confused and messed up... that's true. I... I didn't want you to die, and I didn't want to lose you and... I do blame myself but... that's not what matters.”

Kent frowned. “...This... isn't... everything feels heavy...”

“That's the anesthesia,” Ikki told him. “They had to put you under for surgery. You shouldn't even be awake yet.”

“...body... metabolizes... differently... you know... this.”

“Right,” Ikki said, forcing a smile. “That's not been a fun one to learn, but you're right. It does. You don't have to recalculate your metabolism rate, though. It's okay.”

“Another round of drugs?” Toma asked with a wince. “Three in a day?”

“Does this mean he's going to be up puking all night again?” Orion asked, frowning. “Oh, Kent, I'm so sorry.”

Kent closed his eyes. “...Tired...”

“You go ahead and rest,” Ikki said. “I've already made arrangements to get you your own room in that other facility, so don't be too surprised if you wake up somewhere else, okay? You won't be alone, but you will be safe and looked after.”

Kent shook his head. “Too many... people... make them go... Ikkyu. Please. I... If I dream again... no. Don't let them... don't... can't see me... like that...”

“None of us will think any less of you,” she said, reaching over to touch Kent's cheek. He stared at her. “You are... smart and kind and strong, and we know all of that. We also know you're stubborn and opinionated and overly logical and sometimes completely thoughtless but other times amazingly thoughtful and... You're complicated and human, and it doesn't matter if we see something you think is weakness... you have a right to weakness, too, like everyone else. You don't have to be the strong one all the time, but... we are grateful for you when you are strong, too, because you have done so much for us... and you've seen some pretty bad sides of us, too, but you accept them... so... try and let us do the same for you.”

He sighed. “...have irrational... desire... to believe... you...”

She smiled, though at the same time, she thought she felt a bit of the sting of tears. She'd made such a terrible mess of this, and she wouldn't blame him if he didn't forgive her when this was all over. 

“...except... you were... injured... so this... can't be... real... you shouldn't... can't be... here...”

Ikki grimaced. “You would be right about that, Ken, but Waka refused to leave her in the hospital, just like we have no plans to leave you here. She insisted on seeing you, Ukyo brought her back, and she was just waiting for you to wake up.”

“Kent's right, Neesan,” Orion said. “You really should be resting. I know you haven't said everything you meant to say, but Kent got to hear part of it, and so you can rest now and tell him the other part later.”

“Yeah,” Mine said, nodding her head so much it was almost bobbing.

“Orion's right,” Sawa agreed. “You should rest now that you've seen Kent. The hospital should have beds or cots or something.”

“I don't want to leave Kent,” Kokoa admitted, and he stared at her like he didn't believe her. “I'll be okay. I don't even feel it right now.”

“Yeah, that's probably not a good thing,” Ikki said. Then he smiled. “Well, the hospital won't like it much, but it's temporary and you should be resting, so you can just share with Ken.”

“What?”

* * *

_Kent woke up._

Shin looked at the text and nodded. That was a relief, then, but Toma's message was also too short. It didn't say enough about what was going on back there. Shin hadn't wanted to be stuck at the hospital, but he did need to know what was happening.

_Did he say what happened with Watanbe?_

_I tried asking. He didn't get a chance to answer._

Shin frowned, texting back another response in a hurry. _The hell does that mean? He didn't die on us, did he?_

Toma added an emoji to the message, and Shin swore he'd punch him next time he saw him. _Scared, Shin?_

_Screw you, Toma._

_Nothing bad happened. Everyone's just a little overprotective of him at the moment, and he was pretty confused, didn't seem to believe he was really awake, and then he passed out again. He's just asleep._

_Let me know if anything changes._

Shin paused for a response, but none came, so he put his phone back in his pocket, already tired of waiting. They hadn't been standing around doing nothing here, no, but that didn't mean it didn't grate on him anyway. He didn't want to be stuck here until the other team showed up, but they couldn't leave this scene unprotected all the same.

They only knew of two possible accomplices for Watanbe, but that didn't mean there weren't more, and Shin didn't want anything falling into their hands even if both he and Waka were almost certain there wasn't anything of value here.

They'd kept looking, but almost everything here was ordinary household stuff and completely destroyed by the fit of rage or whatever it was that had brought Watanbe to this. Maybe he knew it was over, even if he didn't get hold of Kent. Kent being alive meant that Watanbe would be found eventually, even if the memory thing had blocked them for way too long.

“Anything?” Waka asked, coming out of the back room he'd been searching. Shin had gladly given the bedroom over to Waka, not wanting to know what Watanbe might have gotten up to in there, and had gone through the living room and kitchen by himself.

“Nothing of use,” Shin said. “He broke almost everything, but even if he hadn't, it's all basic stuff everyone has. Nothing tied to the crimes. Nothing personal, either.”

Waka nodded. “It may well be that the residence that houses more of that sort of item is actually in Kyoto. That did seem to be his preferred location. He may have other deeper ties there. He lacks connections here in Tokyo, but in part that is the role he chose. He made himself unlikeable.”

“He wanted people to overlook him when he took the job as Gatou's assistant,” Shin agreed. “So people in Kyoto probably saw the other side of him, the competent one. That could be part of why they didn't find him. He was someone people trusted and liked.”

“An interesting thought. He got away with murder in one city by being likeable but by being unlikeable in another.”

“Do you really think we'd have spotted all those other crimes? They weren't meant to be seen as anything but accidents or suicides, and even if the rate got high, these are big cities. Why wouldn't the rate be high?”

“That is true,” Waka said. “Still, Tokyo has what Kyoto does not—you and your team members. Yes, it was Kent that found it, but you would still have been suspicious if you'd noticed an increase in accidents and suicides. Same with any of the others except Ukyo, who would be more concerned with the tragedy of it.”

Shin nodded. That was true. Ukyo would just find it sad, not suspicious, but Toma and Ikki would notice it even if Kent hadn't already. And there was Waka. Shin didn't know that he'd ever be sure that Waka hadn't been making moves without anyone knowing, sensing some threat he never told them about, since he had kept Kent's survival a secret from almost everyone.

“Toma texted. Kent woke up for a bit, but he's out again and didn't say anything about Watanbe.”

Waka nodded as if he'd expected as much. Someone could have texted him, too, Shin supposed. Maybe Toma. Maybe Ikki or Ukyo. Or he was just being Waka and knew in that way that he did.

“He's not really going to be in trouble for this, right? I mean, it was dumb going outside like that when he was the guy's target, but he didn't—even if he killed Watanbe—”

“Kent's actions would have been self-defense, and that much should be obvious even to the most idiotic members of the force, but even if it is not, he has the rest of you to support him,” Waka said. “Your father's circumstances were different.”

“He was drunk and in a bar fight, but Kent was drugged and the guy ended up dead. That's not that different, at least not to some people.”

Waka nodded. “You are right, but the one thing that Kent has that your father did not is this team. He is not alone, and all of you are in a position to stop not just the gossip but any further destructive behavior he might exhibit.”

Shin grunted. “I don't know about that.”

“Because Ikki believes you pushed Kent too far?” Waka shook his head. “You were a part of it, that cannot be denied, but Kent had already reached that conclusion long before he acted on it. It was probably his first thought after learning of his connection to the fires, even without remembering Kokoa's parents' case. He knew it would come to a confrontation between him and the killer. We all did. That was not ever in question. None of us wanted it to happen as it did, but that does not mean that Kent could have avoided it, either.”

Shin frowned. “He was safe until he went outside. And we were making a plan to use Ikki as bait instead of him. He would have stayed safe if he hadn't gone off on his own.”

“Perhaps, but hiding from Watanbe would have left too much unresolved. Kent does not just carry guilt over what he forgot. You heard him. He felt he failed his parents.”

“Are you saying he needed to face Watanbe so he could avenge them?”

“Avenge may be too strong a word, but Kent was unable to save his parents or even to participate in the investigation. He needed to feel that he'd had some part in seeing that they had justice. That, combined with Watanbe's obsession with Kent meant that Kent had to be the one to stop him. If it was resolved by any of the rest of you, however much you might have wanted it to be—or even I myself would have preferred to end it—Kent would always believe he had failed even if the man was stopped.”

Shin supposed he could see that. He wouldn't want anyone else dealing with the bastard if it was him, but then he wasn't Kent. Kent would be more logical about it, wouldn't he? Then again, when he talked about his parents and how it changed when there was a personal connection, he'd changed his mind, hadn't he?

“Kyoto has brought Eguchi in for questioning,” Waka said, pulling Shin out of his thoughts.

“You going to go there?”

Waka shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Not yet?” Shin asked, frowning. “You're trusting Kyoto to do the interview for us?”

“It is true that if Watanbe is truly Eguchi's son, he may have knowledge of what Watanbe was doing,” Waka said, “but from our past encounters, we already know he won't share it easily. Any conversation with him requires preparation.”

“Meaning you want to talk to Kent and get all the facts first.”

Waka nodded. “He may be unaware of how much Kent knows and is almost certainly unaware of Kent's survival—which should also be unknown to Kyoto, as I gave specific instructions that no one was to name the officer involved—but if we're unable to use Kent's survival as a way of forcing the truth from him, I will need something else.”

Shin looked at him. “It's not like you to share so much with anyone.”

Waka seemed amused by that. “I rarely had to in the past.”

“No, you just didn't.” 

“Again, I did not have to,” Waka said. “Kent would do that for me.”

* * *

Kent's body was heavy again, and he grimaced as he tried to move, concerned by the fact that it was actually heavier on one side than it was on the other. He didn't understand that. He knew his arm should hurt, he'd been stabbed, but that was the opposite side, not the one that was weighed down. He didn't understand that at all.

He lifted his head and got a better look at what was holding him down, frowning. So that was not a joke, then, on Ikkyu's part. He had actually placed Kokoa in the same narrow bed as Kent. That seemed foolish, as there was far from enough space for both of them, not when they were injured.

Ikkyu had gone too far. Again.

Kent grimaced as he tried to extract himself out from under Kokoa without waking her. She stirred as soon as he moved, mumbling something incoherent and grabbing hold of him. He assumed she thought he was her brother. That would only make sense as she had likely shared a bed with Orion in the past. Still, Kent was having a difficult time dislodging even her fingers from him.

When she grabbed onto something, she did not appear willing to let it go.

Kent managed to slide to the side, slipping out from underneath her and almost toppling to the floor if not for someone blocking his fall.

“Ikkyu.”

“I knew you'd do that.” Ikkyu pushed Kent back onto the bed. “I told you I'd have you moved as soon as I could, didn't I? I even thought maybe I'd made sure you'd stay put this time, but no.”

Kent frowned. “Are you suggesting her presence was meant as... a deterrent?”

“Yes,” Ikkyu said, sounding both disappointed and annoyed. “Damn it, Ken. Why do you think I put her in with you? It You almost died, but I knew the minute you woke up, you'd try and leave.”

“I might have needed to use the facilities.”

“Yeah, maybe, since you only narrowly avoided a catheter, but no,” Ikkyu said, folding his arms over his chest and glaring at Kent. “You could have fallen and torn your stitches. Or worse. They said you lost a lot of blood, and if you did that again... I still haven't forgiven you for giving me a goodbye speech. That's unacceptable, you know.”

Kent sighed. “At the time, it felt like there was... no other conclusion to be reached... I suppose now it is clear that he missed any vital organs, but at the time, it was rather difficult to tell.”

“You almost gave up on me.”

Kent shook his head. He had not been suicidal or self-destructive at that moment, and he refused to say he was. “I... accepted my fate. That is different.”

“You're supposed to fight kicking and screaming to the end.”

“That is ridiculous... though I did kick Watanbe at least once. I may even have cried out a few times,” Kent said, uncomfortable with that admission.

Ikkyu stared at him and then began to laugh. “Oh, damn. I'm so glad you didn't die I can't stay mad at you, you idiot.”

“I am not an idiot, though I know Shin thinks so.”

“No one cares what Shin thinks.”

“You fought with him?”

“Would have, if Waka hadn't shown up when he did. And don't go telling me to forgive him. I don't plan on doing that any time soon. He may think it's okay to say that kind of stuff all the time, that his tough love is motivation, but it's not. He needs to get over himself and admit he cares or shut the hell up and stay away.”

“I am not going to tell you to forgive him,” Kent said, knowing that was futile. “However, I will remind you that I am considered equally insensitive, and you remain my friend.”

“You're different. You care. You admit it a hell of a lot more than he does.”

“You are biased. Toma and others would disagree with you.”

“Still don't care,” Ikkyu said. “Besides, Kokoa there agrees with me. Kent's got a big heart, right? Nice and generous in spite of himself.”

“Yes, very, though I don't know that Shin isn't generous. I haven't seen enough of him to make that judgment.”

Kent looked back at her. “A part of me wants to challenge your statement as you've made judgments faster in the past, but another believes that I... should apologize for waking you.”

She shook her head. “As long as you don't get hurt again, I don't care if you wake me. And... I have made snap judgments before, but I know better now. You of all people taught me that.”

“I did?”

“Yes. Because you are kinder than you seemed, more willing to listen and bend than I knew, and in some ways... a better person than I was.”

“I am not actually awake, am I?”

“Oh, no, you are,” Ikkyu assured him. “Aren't you feeling it by now? I... sort of unplugged your IV when I put Kokoa in with you. Not entirely by accident.”

Kent nodded. “That explains the relative clarity of my mind as well as the lack of vomit. Thank you. I do not... I have done far too much of that lately, and I would prefer never to do it again, even if it is a biological function for a reason.”

Ikkyu smiled. “Yeah, agreed. Now you are going to go back to bed and rest so they'll clear you for the move, right?”

“No.”

“Kent—”

“I can't stay here. I don't care if you sent almost everyone else home—back to my home, I assume as there is still a risk Watanbe was not working alone—I am not staying in this hospital a minute longer than I have to. I'm awake, and I'm leaving.”

“I don't suppose she could talk you into it?”

Kent didn't even look at Kokoa. He knew he was weak to her, and if she protested, he'd waver, but not for long. “No.”

“I didn't think so,” Ikkyu said with a sigh. “Fine. I'll see what I can do.”

* * *

“Okay, I thought for sure the two of you would win against the one of him,” Toma said as Ikki walked Kent into the room, Kokoa in his arms. “How does that work?”

“Ken was very stubborn, and even the lack of glasses and number of stitches holding him together would not convince him otherwise,” Ikki answered. He watched Kent sit down before he set Kokoa down on the couch. “And this is temporary. Ken is going to lie down as soon as he's rested a bit here.”

Toma saw the look on Kent's face and didn't believe that for a second. Kent had no intention of resting, even if he'd almost died. They might have been fortunate he'd broken his leg last time—no one would have kept him still without that.

“Well, Shin texted to say they didn't find anything at Watanbe's place here, and I've also heard that there wasn't anything of interest in Watanbe's car. We're still waiting for Kyoto to check the place there and the vehicle, though they have pulled in Eguchi.”

“Waka headed for Kyoto, then?” Ikki asked, taking the other chair and closing his eyes. Toma knew he should be resting, too, but he wouldn't so long as Kent was awake.

“Unlikely. There's not enough information to use against Eguchi yet. He'd want more,” Kent said, rubbing at his arm where the bandage was. “I need to get a shirt.”

“Make that two,” Ikki said, starting to rise again. “I'll just—”

“I'll get them,” Orion said, rushing off before anyone could stop him. Toma had missed him coming in, but then Kent's arrival was pretty distracting.

“I wonder if he doesn't want them to match again,” Ikki said, amused. “I think it's kind of cute myself.”

“Match?” Kent asked, frowning.

“You didn't realize we were wearing the same shirt earlier?” Kokoa asked. “I mean, they're both ruined now, but... they were the same.”

“Oh.” Kent looked a little red, and he turned away as Ikki's grin grew wider.

Kokoa touched Kent's hand. “I didn't mind. It was a comfortable shirt, and it smelled like you, too. I mean—Oh, damn it, now they'll start all over again with—I just... it was kind of you to let me borrow one, and I liked the one I borrowed, okay?”

“I'm sure you could probably spend the rest of your life borrowing Ken's shirts,” Ikki said. “Communal property and all.”

“Ikkyu, are you the one with a death wish now?”

Ikki just laughed. “Oh, but Ken, isn't she beautiful when she blushes? I do think you two need to have a long, long talk. And a few dozen kisses and—”

“Ikkyu.” Kent's voice had a rather scary tone to it now. “You need to stop. Now.”

Ikki sighed. “Fine. I won't tease either of you for now, but you are going to talk it out even if I have to lock you in a room to make it happen.”

Kent ignored him. “What are you working on, Toma? Didn't you already find the connections you were looking for earlier?”

“And then some, since you hid the account name and password for an online storage account in that puzzle you left for Ikki on Waka's painting,” Toma told him, getting another frown from Kent. “Yeah, you're probably not going to remember doing that. The last updated file in it was dated the day you got that concussion that wiped your memory of the last two days, so... in some sense, we're lucky because you did make this, but in another... it was gone as soon as you did.”

“Oh,” Kent said, touching his head. “I suppose that makes sense, but I had thought...”

“You thought maybe you'd get your memories back so you'd understand why you hid things the way you did?” Toma finished for him. “There's still a chance the rest of this will jog your memory. You'd linked Watanbe to an insane amount of deaths, and I've only had time to go over a couple of files to check them against your theory.”

“Show him his note on the red tape,” Ikki said, and Toma pulled it up for him. “That's the last file you updated—not long before we got the call about the pit.”

Kent sighed. “You do realize I don't have my glasses? Even on the larger screen, that is difficult—nearly impossible to read.”

“Hmm. Where did that spare set end up?” Ikki asked, reaching into his pocket. “Ah, here we go.”

Ikki tossed him the glasses. They hit Kent's chest and fell into his lap. He gave Ikki a glance, and Ikki shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Somehow, I do not believe that,” Kent said as he put on his glasses. “Oh. So there is no evidence? That both fits and does not.”

“Yeah, it conflicts with what he did to her, but there could be explanations for that, too.”

Kent nodded. “Is the file on her parents there?”

“Yeah, but I haven't reviewed it yet. We already knew about it, so it seemed less important to go over than the others we had no idea about.”

“I would rather start from the beginning,” Kent said. “I need to know what made me think that this was not a personal killing but rather the work of someone distant from the family.”

“You suspected Orion's biological father, right?” Kokoa asked. “Yeah, I'm curious, too, about why you'd change your mind about that and suspect someone like Watanbe doing so many terrible things.”

“I don't know. Even reviewing the case might not tell me, but I do want to start there.”

* * *

“I could make you the subject of a series on stubbornness,” Ukyo said, and Kent looked over at him with a tired glare. “I know you'd hate it, but you should be resting now. You should not have left the hospital. And yet you keep trying to work.”

“I would be doing more if I had a tablet,” Kent said, closing his eyes for a moment, pain passing over his face as he touched his side. “If people are that worried about me moving around, they could at least give me that so I can work.”

“Ken, I realize you really don't want to sleep given how likely your nightmares will be—”

“I am not a coward, nor am I afraid.”

“I didn't say that,” Ikki said, getting a little frustrated. “Still, you asked me to make everyone leave so they wouldn't see you like that, which does mean you didn't want to experience one of those episodes in front of everyone again. And it's almost guaranteed that you would have a nightmare no matter how logical you are—you were abducted and almost killed. You can try and bury it all you like, but it's still there. You will remember it, if only in your dreams.”

Kent shook his head. “I do not need to dream to remember it, and that is not why I do not want to sleep. I am... I...”

“Are you worried about Watanbe not working alone?” Kokoa asked, biting her lip. “He did seem different from the man in the mask that hurt me. When he confronted us outside the house, he was... calm. Almost too calm. I guess I'd be worried he wasn't the same man, too.”

Ukyo winced. “Is that it? Watanbe isn't the killer?”

Kent closed his eyes for a moment, taking a breath like he needed to calm himself. “Watanbe admitted to the murders. Not every specific one, but at least my parents' murder and the attempt on me. He said my back was his best work.”

Ikki flinched. Ukyo felt sick. That was so incredibly wrong.

“I'm sorry,” Kokoa said, and Kent looked at her with a frown. “I know I didn't do that and you don't want pity, but... he's trying to claim a part of you, and that's not right. He may have forced those scars on you, but it's still _your_ back, and he doesn't get to have that. Scarred or not, it's your body, not his. And he can't take that, can't call it his or art or anything else.”

Kent stared at her, and she reached out her hand to take his. “I know you have a hard time believing me after I was so cruel to you before, but that was my pride and my cowardice... I don't believe anyone deserves what he did to you, but certainly not you. You're... you're a good person, Kent. You should never have been hurt like this.”

“I...”

“If it wouldn't hurt both of us, I think I would hug you,” she admitted in a whisper so faint Ukyo barely heard it. Kent reddened, and Ukyo found himself almost wishing she would. He knew it would be a beautiful image.

“That is... not necessary.”

“I think they're never necessary,” she said, “but they show how much we want to share that kind of moment because they're not.”

Kent started to shake his head, so she moved to embrace him, making him tense up even as she let go a moment later.

“You got that, right?” Ikki whispered to Ukyo, who nodded with a smile. He knew that it could have been a better moment if Kent had been more accepting of the touch, but it was still beautiful. She had a good heart, this Kokoa.

“Ikkyu—”

“How about a compromise?” Ikki began, smiling in that way of his. “You can have a tablet as long as you actually lie down. Both of you.”

“Ikkyu—”

“Lady's choice of where she wants to be, of course, but both of you should be resting and not stressing those stitches, so... are you going to accept my terms or not?”

Kent grimaced. “Very well.”

* * *

“Why am I not surprised?” Shin muttered, stopping in the doorway. “Damn it, Kent, don't you know how to rest?”

“The basic definition, perhaps,” Ken answered, not looking up from the tablet he was using to review the files. Ikki had given it to him when he agreed to lie down, though he hadn't taken his eyes off it since, not even when Kokoa's head drifted down on his shoulder. 

Oh, his face was red, and Ukyo had definitely taken a picture of it, but he hadn't made any move to dislodge her, either, which Ikki took as a good sign. Orion, not so much. That kid didn't seem to know what to think of his sister having feelings for anyone. Ikki was pretty sure it had nothing to do with Kent himself, just that big sister had never shown any interest in a guy before, and Orion really didn't know what to do with that.

“He'll get tired soon enough,” Ikki said. “I, for one, am exhausted, and I don't blame Kokoa one bit for checking out as soon as her head hit the... well, Ken's not a pillow, but...”

“It makes a lovely picture,” Ukyo said, and Ken looked over to glare at him. “No, you can't destroy them, Kent. I'm sure you'll want them eventually, when things are resolved.”

“There is nothing to resolve,” Ken said, looking over at her, the pain of his words clear to Ikki, who knew him too well.

“Kent,” Waka said, and Ken looked up at him. “You have a great deal to resolve now, with a great many people. The team fractured in your absence, and those bonds will need healing just as much as your physical body and your mind. Also, you cannot call this issue between you and the woman resolved when you refuse to acknowledge her sincerity.”

Ken lowered his head again. “I do not see why any of you have a right to have a say in this matter, nor should you. If there was something to discuss, it would be a private matter, and you should have no part in it.”

“Except they're all nosy like gossipy little girls,” Shin said, shaking his head in disgust.

“Oh? Are we now?” Waka asked, and Shin swallowed. Ikki bet he was thinking of hiding behind Toma, even if he'd never admit that. “I think you managed to insult more than the rest of us with that statement.”

Shin grimaced. “That's not—I just meant that Kent's right. No one needs to be up in his business.”

“You choose today to be understanding?”

“Ikkyu,” Ken said, frustration clear. “If you are all going to bicker or tease, you can do it elsewhere. I would like to finish this. Though I suppose at this juncture there is no reason not to speak of the things you all want to know.”

Ukyo frowned. “What? No, what we really want is for you to rest. You don't have to talk, especially not about private matters.”

“I have no intention of discussing anything personal,” Ken corrected. “However, as you must all want to know what happened with Watanbe—”

“You don't have to force that, either.”

“Are you scared I might say I killed him? Is that why you're trying to silence me?”

“No, but if it's hard to—”

“I didn't kill him. I wanted to, but I didn't. Couldn't.”


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kent explains what happened and things begin to settle down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there's just a bit of this left to wrap up for now. I have thoughts and delusions of potential sequels (cases focused on each of the other team members maybe) or crossovers and there is one side story I do want to do because I sort of promised it, but for now, this is getting close to wrapped up, and that's a good thing.
> 
> I do have Nano to worry about, too, and this story turned out much longer than ever intended.

* * *

“Kent—”

“There need be no drawn out conversation over this. You are all here, and I can say it once, then be done with it. My original plan was poorly made and badly executed, as it was not much more than showing my face and attempting to lure him inside the house if he did come after me. I had not intended to stay out for very long or get caught up in arguing with Kokoa again,” Kent said. He would rather get this over with sooner rather than later, and it would be easier to do it once instead of several times. He also thought he'd be able to remain dispassionate about it for now. “Watanbe startled us both, gaining the advantage when Kokoa's leg gave out on her. I was able to distract him, but he did stab me with a needle before I could dislodge him. I gave her a code for the door that wouldn't punish her if she took too long to get inside. He... did want to kill her before he left, but when she got inside... he changed his mind and dragged me away instead. At that point, it is a little... vague. I'd knocked my head into his to get him off me and I was drugged... there's nothing until I woke up vomiting in the trunk of the car.”

“But you woke up,” Toma said, like that was very important, though Kent didn't know why that pleased him so much. “That's the main thing. If you hadn't, and hadn't broken those tail lights, we'd never have found you. Well, no, we'd have found you, but not in time. The doctors said we cut it pretty close.”

Kent looked at his hands. Oh. He supposed that was true. He didn't remember anything distinctive about either vehicle Watanbe had been using. “I did try to find the internal release, but it must have been removed. The only recourse was the tail lights. It... wore me out to do that much. I was unconscious when the vehicle stopped, but Watanbe noticed what I'd done. He wasn't pleased.”

“Well, we're glad,” Ukyo said with a smile that looked rather emotional as well. “You gave us what we needed to find you.”

Shin gave Ukyo a glance before addressing Kent. “What happened when he tried to switch cars?”

“I convinced him to let me get out on my own, and then when he ordered me to move, I knocked him over and ran,” Kent answered. “It... was not an elegent escape, but it was enough, at least, to stall, which was what I'd decided I was doing.”

“You talked him into letting you get out on your own?”

“He thought it was very amusing I didn't want vomit on me by being dragged through it.”

Shin grimaced. “Jerk.”

“At any rate, it did make him think I was cooperating, which made surprising him possible,” Kent said, touching his good hand to his other arm, which was throbbing again. “I... I got behind other cars and hid. I... I was too tired to keep running and too far from the stairs to use them. I had to run in the opposite direction to get away from him, so...”

“Ken, no one is judging you here,” Ikkyu said, giving Shin a pointed look. “We're only asking because we need to know what happened and if there's more we should look for with Watanbe. That's it. That's all.”

“Considering how bad you looked, you did fine,” Shin said, and Ikkyu's eyes widened. “I mean, you were puking all over before you got taken, and we all thought you'd basically passed out in her lap. We were making plans to use Ikki as bait when you went and got yourself taken.”

Kent grimaced. “I... understand why you would do that, and Watanbe's words to Kokoa would make that seem like a viable plan, but... I am... I do not want to say it because I think I... it sounds too self-important and yet... I believe the only reason I survived as long as I did was because he was obsessed with me. I do not know that anyone else would have had that. He... he had wanted to dispose of Kokoa before we even left, despite his claim that he'd let her go if I went with him willingly.”

“You think he wouldn't have toyed with the rest of us? Just you?”

Kent felt himself shudder, and Kokoa seemed to stir, moving closer to him in her sleep. Her warmth was... actually welcome though he could not allow himself to get accustomed to such a presence.

“I do not know for certain. He... He seemed... angered by the fact that I did have emotions. He was... jealous of my attachments... my friendships on the team and with my parents, I believe, even this mistaken belief about Kokoa... and he didn't like that. He seemed to think—he said—that we were two halves, that we couldn't exist without each other, and that... that was what convinced him that we both had to die there. He was angry when I said I didn't need him, had forgotten him, and he... stabbed me... I was only half-conscious at best when he... performed seppuku.”

“Damn.”

“I... did manage to hit his head against the car when he found me, and his behavior was more erratic after that. He seemed convinced he was dying and that we would die together, though, and that... that was when he blew up the car. I... he was... he tried to touch my back and I kicked him and tried to get away again but... I didn't.”

“You got things a bit out of order,” Waka said. “Is there anything else you think we should know?”

Kent didn't really want to think about it anymore, but he did want to be sure he had given them any and all relevant information. “I... Thinking about what he said, I think his father—if it is Eguchi—he knows nothing about Watanbe's activities. It sounded as if... he seemed bothered by my relationship with my parents, though it was not... typical or close as most would define it, and also... he... said I was the only one who understood him. I... I think he was acting alone.”

“He didn't mention anything about the evidence?”

Kent shook his head. “It may well have been what I apparently theorized before and just a trip wire. He didn't ask me for it.”

Waka nodded. “Very well. I do intend to go to Kyoto to oversee the end of things there. I want to be sure that the matter is resolved properly.”

“That... is preferable,” Kent said. “I... I would prefer to know that you had reviewed and concluded the matter as well.”

Waka gave him an actual smile. “Of course, I do expect the rest of you to continue the work here. That said, Kent, you also need to prioritize your recovery. You've done enough.”

Kent knew he did not and could not agree, but he was fatigued. “I... I am tired enough that I should like to rest now.”

* * *

“There are a few other details here that I would like gone over,” Waka said, shutting Kent's door behind him. Toma looked back at the door, wondering if Kent was telling the truth about resting. He'd set the tablet aside, and he had seemed kind of worn out by that conversation, but it was hard to be sure. “You should all know your roles, but if I need to give individual assignments before I leave, I will.”

Toma shook his head. He didn't need to be told what to do. He was still in the middle of looking over most of the cases, and Kent's comments about the first one made him curious, too. What there made him think this guy had killed so many others? That was something Toma wanted to know, too, and he wanted to see if he found what Kent had. 

“I'm not sure that's necessary, and even if it was... We've got Kent or Shin to give us orders, too.”

“Shut up, Toma.”

“I'm not taking orders from Shin,” Ikki said, leaning against the wall. “Still, I can see to it that Ken and Kokoa recover, I'll get Sawa and Mine home, and probably even have a chat with that idiot manager of theirs. Hmm. I should look at his financial situation. That might give him a good scare.”

Toma frowned. “You realize that none of that has anything to do with the actual case, right?”

Ikki looked at him. “And your point would be...?”

“I think maybe I should do that,” Ukyo began. “I'm not as helpful with other parts of the case, after all, so this could be my role.”

Shin shook his head. “If you're not comfortable with the other parts of investigation, we should be giving you more of a chance to work on that aspect, not less, and just because Kent insisted on leaving the hospital doesn't mean he's healed. He needs to be watched over, and Ikki's the best person for that. I won't say he's the best if the girls get stuck with him since he never stops flirting, but he'd want to stick close to Kent anyway.”

“Hmm. Again with the acting almost... nice. Who are you and what have you done with Shin?”

Shin glared at Ikki. “You know—”

“Enough fighting amongst yourselves,” Waka said. “You will resolve this issue before I return, is that clear? No sweeping it under the rug. Whatever it is, deal with it and end it.”

“Now, when you say 'end it,' do you mean—”

“If it really takes violence to get you over it, then fight and sort it out, but attempting to kill each other would be excessive,” Waka said. “And I shouldn't even have to answer that sort of question, Ikki.”

“Well, I just wanted to be sure,” Ikki said, shrugging, a huge grin on his face.

“You bastard,” Toma said. “You already forgave him. You're just giving him shit now.”

Ikki smirked. “Is that really what you think?”

“Do not make me regret reinstating the team,” Waka said, eying all of them in turn. “Cover all the cases. Don't ignore anything, even small details. Make sure that Watanbe was working alone and we are not missing any evidence. Don't let your guard down until this matter is completely resolved. And do not let anything else happen to Kent.”

“Yes, Waka.”

* * *

Though Kent had been tired and did intend to sleep, it was much easier said than done. After the others left the room and he had turned off his tablet, he'd eased Kokoa off so he could reposition himself—she hadn't woken that time—and settled in to sleep.

He hadn't managed that yet, and the time that passed seemed interminable. He knew it wasn't actually that long, but time had a way of altering its perception to be both longer and shorter than it truly was. It was a fixed construct, and yet it could seem so unfixed as well. Too fluid, too changeable... and yet incredibly rigid and inflexible as well.

He sighed. Why was he thinking about time again? There were better uses for his mind if he was going to be stuck awake.

He couldn't even say that it was the pain keeping him awake, though he knew if he did, he could take something for it. He just did not want to, knowing that the side effects would make it worse.

He closed his eyes again, unsure why it was so difficult now to sleep when it had been impossible to stay awake not that long ago. 

Kent could hear Watanbe's voice in his ear, his erratic breathing, the noises he made as he lay next to him, and he trembled, not wanting to think about it, to hear those noises again. He didn't want to remember that.

He supposed that was a part of it, the way that came back if it was given half a chance. Kent had not needed more reasons to panic, to tremble in unreasonable fear. Watanbe was dead—and this was not the same as before, though he'd believed that his parents' killer was locked away or dead and unable to do more damage—but now he knew that Watanbe was dead and this... this was foolish.

Kokoa made a small noise as she turned over in her sleep, and he started, sighing in frustration at his own stupidity. He took a few breaths, attempting to calm himself.

She bumped him, and he looked at her to see she'd rolled over to where she was back almost on top of him again. He should push her away, but he might wake her, and it wasn't right to wake her. She wasn't in a bad position as far as her stitches went, just a little close to him.

He could hear her breathing now, in fact, but it wasn't like Watanbe's, no rasping, no words, just... almost a sense of... calm. She seemed... at peace. 

“Impossible.”

She stirred, and he regretted speaking. He had not wanted to wake her. Her eyes fluttered, and she looked at him. “Kent? Why are you awake?”

“I... That is difficult to say.”

She lifted her head, biting her lip. “Is it... my fault? Should I have not stayed here with you? I... I know it's not... not really appropriate, but... I don't want to dream about you dying and then wake up and you're not there and—oh, what did I just say?”

He thought she might be blushing, and yet... why? “I don't understand why it matters so much to you. We... only ever fought before, and now...”

She sighed. “Are you ever going to accept that I didn't—that I was saying stuff because I was scared and ashamed and not because I meant it? I... I do care about you. That's not a lie, and it's not me trying to hide anything. It's... it's even hard to admit as much as I know I need to say it, and you should hear it—and not just from me but... I did a lot of damage with my harsh words, and I know that now.”

He swallowed. “I... When I started analyzing my reactions to you and your comments and... when I questioned why I did what I did for you... I understood myself to be compromised and to have feelings that... They were conflicting and yet must have been... something close to romantic in nature. I knew they were past admiration and even basic affection as one might feel for a friend and yet... I did not want them to be more. Ikkyu's romantic entanglements never seem to end well, but it also could not be said that we seemed a suitable genetic match as my parents had stressed in the past, and then I... also knew you to be far from reciprocating such feelings.”

She nodded. “I know. I... I was unwilling to accept help or admit I wanted it, and as far as feelings went... I was in complete denial. I don't think I would even have said we were friends before Watanbe abducted me. And that was wrong.”

Kent shook his head. “You were under no obligation to feel anything for me.”

“I know,” she said, “but I _do_ feel something. I... I don't know entirely what it is. I've only ever been sure of how I felt about Orion—that's not hard; he's easy to love—but when it came to a life outside of him, I never really looked for it. I told myself I didn't want or need it, and I stuck to that. I didn't let myself think about it or accept help... that was like... betraying Orion. And it was wrong to think that way, but that was how I'd gotten it twisted around in my mind. So I... I couldn't let you help, couldn't admit that I wanted it or that we were friends or that... I was attracted to you.”

He stared at her. “What?”

“Your smile, the genuine one, that one, it... I got butterflies almost every time I saw it. And that day you came in a suit, you made me speechless, not that I'd admit that. And that time when we were cooking together and it was such a tight space... I think my cheeks were flaming the entire time... and it wasn't just you taking care of me that was nice when you were there when I was sick—it was so nice, but it was... I felt secure and safe and also... I noticed you were stronger than I thought and steady and... is that enough? Because I can't say anymore. I'm so embarrassed now.”

Kent knew he was also red now, flustered and rather unsettled by her admission. “I... I had, of course, noticed that you were attractive, and once came close to admitting such a thing, but you overlooked it and I did not correct it, but to hear you say you thought the same about me...”

She swallowed. “Uh, Kent...”

“Oh, I... I don't think that... we're not really... we have not spoken in two years aside from the past couple days when we were both dealing with problems with our memory, and I cannot say I think it wise to assume anything even with such admissions.”

She nodded. “So... we will just... see what happens now that we've had a chance to talk and admit a few things? We can take it slow and figure out if... if this is more or just... attraction and other confused feelings?”

“Yes, that seems wise.”

She smiled at him, lowering her head onto his side. He tensed, not expecting that.

“Oh. Um... Should I leave?”

He thought of the difference between her breathing and the memory of Watanbe. “I... I would prefer it if you didn't. I... I think it may help against part of what's keeping me awake.”

“Then I'll stay. I'd rather be here myself.”

* * *

“I think that's something you may have to get used to,” Ikki said, putting his hands on Orion's shoulders, and Orion grimaced. He'd stopped in Kent's doorway when he saw his sister curled up against Kent. “It's not going to change, not if I know Ken.”

Orion frowned. “You're not just joking, are you?”

Ikki shook his head. “Nope. Ken's feelings for your sister are pretty obvious to me, knowing him like I do. And Ken, when he feels something, he feels it deeply. He may seem like a robot, but it's more that he doesn't understand emotions than he doesn't feel them. And he definitely feels something for her. It's not the end of the world, Orion. It could be a lot worse. You'd hate it if it were me, right?”

“Uh... no, not necessarily, but... it's just strange to think of Neesan... she's never wanted anyone else before. We were always just... the two of us.”

“Having more people around isn't a bad thing,” Ikki said. “I used to think I didn't want more people around, believe it or not.”

Orion looked up at him. “How about not?” 

Ikki laughed. “Well, it's true. When I was on the show, I had fans chasing me and people doing all sorts of crazy things to get my attention. They wanted to be my friend, they said, but they didn't. They wanted to tag along and have me pay for everything, to use my influence and fame to get them things, but they didn't want me. It was a lonely life surrounded by people, and my parents were the worst. Then I met Ken, and I realized it wasn't that I didn't want anyone else around—I wanted the right kind of people around. And Ken's one of those right kinds. He's a good guy.”

Orion nodded. He'd seen for himself that Kent was a good person. He just wasn't sure how to feel about his sister liking Kent like that.

“Anyway, they're still asleep, so maybe we should let them rest and go have breakfast. If we're lucky, Toma hasn't eaten all of Ken's omelets.”

“If he has, I can make more,” Kent said, not opening his eyes. Was he really awake or talking in his sleep?

“Oh, would you teach me how you make them?” Neesan asked, opening her eyes to look at Kent with a smile. “Orion likes yours better than mine, but if you showed me how you did it, maybe I could improve on mine.”

Kent nodded. “Yes, I'd like to cook with you again.”

Neesan blushed. “Oh, thank you.”

“Ah, where's Ukyo when you need him?” Ikki said. Kent glared at him, but he just laughed. “Okay, so... if that's the plan... hmm. I think you may also need to teach Orion about those omelets, because you shouldn't be doing much moving around, either, and while I can carry Kokoa up and she can sit to watch... you'd have to stand and move and... no cooking lesson today unless it means you sitting down, Ken. Sorry, but it's not worth pulling your stitches.”

Kent sighed. “I suppose you have a point.”

“We'll do it later,” Neesan said, reaching up to touch Kent's cheek. “That's a promise.”

He smiled at her. “Yes, it is.”

“Ooh, someone definitely had a private conversation last night,” Ikki said, and next thing Orion knew, something white and fluffy had bounced off Ikki and onto his head. “Okay, okay, Ken. I won't say anymore, but you need to watch your temper. You got Orion, too.”

“It was a pillow.”

“And how does that arm feel now?”

Kent glared at him. “Fine.”

“Liar.”

“Ikki, please stop teasing us,” Neesan said. “We... we don't even know what this is yet, and it's too soon for teasing.”

“I suppose you may be right,” Ikki said, “so I may give you both a break for now, but don't expect that to last forever. Especially if he drags his feet about asking you on an actual date or to marry him or even—”

“Enough, Ikkyu. I don't care if my arm hurts. The next thing I throw will not be a pillow.”

“Relax, Ken,” Ikki said. “I promised no more for now, right? And I meant it, though I will be making sure that both of you special people take care of each other properly.”

“And yet again, I wish to throw something at you.”

Ikki laughed. “Okay, truce long enough for me to carry the lady upstairs? We should get started on that breakfast, and who knows? Waka might have word for us by now. Not to mention that Toma was probably up all night with the files. Not sure about Ukyo. Or Shin.”

“Sawa and Mine were up already. They were talking about going home for a bit,” Orion said. “They even offered to get us some of our stuff if we're staying here for longer. We are staying, aren't we? I mean... that guy's dead, but... are we safe now or not?”

“It seems unlikely that Watanbe was working with anyone,” Kent said, prodding Neesan to rise. “However, we should not rush or assume anything, and being prudent will not harm anyone. As long as one of the team is with Sawa or Mine, they should be able to go home safely. I think it better you and your sister remain in a secure location until she has recovered enough to move freely at least. I... am not opposed to you remaining longer if you so chose, though.”

“Remind me to show you the game room,” Ikki whispered in Orion's ear. “You see that, and I bet you won't want to leave.”

“Also, it would be wise to catch up Orion's schoolwork and... Well, no, that's assuming far too much, but... it is possible that... No, too much.”

Neesan frowned. “Kent? What is it?”

He shook his head. “It's a foolish thought. Ignore it. Please move. I... It is rather urgent that I rise, and do not make me explain why.”

“Fine,” Ikki said. “I'll take Kokoa upstairs, and we'll see about breakfast and where everyone else is with the case.”

He picked Neesan up, and she didn't protest, but she kept frowning, her eyes on Kent until she left the room. Orion waited and then swallowed, giving Kent another look.

“You're not... taking it back or something, are you? That would be cruel, and I don't think you're like that, plus... you still like her, right? Why would you hold back and then get all awkward as you tried to cover it up?”

Kent sighed as he forced himself up from the bed. “I... I almost made a suggestion your sister was certain to reject—don't look at me with such panic. It was not marriage. I do not think it would be any better received as an idea, though.”

“I don't understand. Is it bad? Why would you—”

“Your sister always puts caring for you first and doesn't want help with that. My thought... would have seemed like... No, just forget it. I do not intend to speak of it again. Just leave it be.”

Orion bit his lip and then blurted it out. “You want us to stay here, don't you?”

“I told you—”

“You have the room,” Orion said, “and if Neesan didn't have to worry about rent, then... she could do something for herself, right? Like... go back to school? Is that what you were thinking?”

Kent let out a breath. “Yes, but—”

“Wow. You're the best. No, you really are nice, Kent.” Orion hugged him, and Kent grunted. Orion let go. “Oops. Did I hurt you?”

“I'm fine.”

Orion knew he wasn't, but he forced a smile before leaving the room. He wondered if Neesan would actually do it. She should have a chance to do what she really wanted, right? And this house was a nice place and it wasn't like they had to share rooms and the others would be around, too, wouldn't they? Orion wouldn't have to change schools, he didn't think, and since the cafe burned down, Neesan didn't have a job, so... Oh. That was bad.

Well, at least Kent could give them a place to stay, right?

* * *

“Morning,” Mine greeted Kokoa cheerfully as Ikki carried her into the room. “Must be nice to get carried around by all these hot guys, right? Like something out of a fantasy. Makes up a bit for being hurt, doesn't it?”

“Um...” Kokoa began, flushing red in Ikki's arms. “I...”

“You're so cute when you're flustered,” Ikki told her as he set her down in a chair. “Ken's a very lucky man.”

“Ikki, you promised.”

He shrugged. “Ken's not here to throw anything at me, and that's not teasing. That's just an observation. A genuine, sincere one. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of him having a pretty, stubborn but caring woman like you in love with him. I'm still hoping for that kind of love myself. I never seem to find it.”

“I think you're looking in the wrong place,” Sawa told him, and he looked over at her with a frown. She felt her own cheeks go hot. “Well, it's just... if you flirt with everyone like that, why would they think you were sincere? And if a woman doesn't think you'll be sincere, why would she bother being that way herself? She'd just take what she thought she could get and move on.”

“Sawa,” Mine said, swatting her, though it wasn't like she hadn't agreed with Sawa when they talked about it last night.

“No, she may have a point there,” Ikki said, his voice a bit subdued and his face showing a bit of hurt as well. He forced a smile. “Never mind that now. Toma, did you eat all the omelets?”

“It wasn't just me,” Toma protested immediately. “And since you're here and you'll complain about it, make the coffee already.”

Ikki nodded, going over to the sink. “So where are we at? Anyone hear from Waka yet?”

“He didn't ask you for an update on Kent?”

“No. What was I supposed to tell him? Ken slept all night? Well, not all night since he and Kokoa had some kind of talk last night, but most of it. Ken's fine. I think Waka would just expect us to call or text if something went wrong. And it hasn't. Though... I should probably finish this and go back down to make sure he doesn't push himself going up the stairs.”

“That is unnecessary,” Kent said as he came into the room. He paused against the doorway, and Orion looked up at him with a frown. “I'm fine. You need not hover like that, either. You did not harm me when you hugged me—none of you ask—and I am merely resting for a moment.”

“You look terrible,” Shin told him. “Did you really sleep?”

“Not at first, but eventually, yes,” Kent told him. “Also... check the freezer. I may have made more omelets and put them in there.”

Ukyo opened the freezer door, and Toma let out a low whistle. “Damn, Kent. I think your cooking therapy was a little out of control.”

“I told you I cooked but lacked an appetite,” Kent said, crossing the room to the table. He took the seat next to Kokoa, who reached for his hand.

“You will eat now, won't you? You didn't take any medication... You must be hurting, but you're not nauseous, right?”

“No, I'm not nauseous.”

Kokoa gave him a small smile. “Then you should probably eat if you can.”

“I will try,” Kent told her. “Though I must admit I prefer the omelets in particular when they've been made fresh. They don't taste the same after they've been frozen.”

“Well, you could try and teach someone else how to make them, though not me this time,” Kokoa said. “I'm trying to be good and stay off my leg.”

“Oh, do you think you could teach someone that's impossible to teach? Like Sawa?”

“Mine,” Sawa said, hurt. “I'm not impossible. I'm—”

“I'm not so bad at cooking myself,” Ikki told her. “I'd volunteer to give you some one-on-one lessons. We can practice until you get right.”

Sawa stared at him. He was grinning at her, and she couldn't tell if he meant it or was just flirting again. “Um...”

“I'll do it,” Mine said. “I'd love to get lessons from you, Ikki.”

“Damn, why does that always happen when you're around?” Toma asked, shaking his head at Ikki. “We should put a muzzle on you or something.”

Mine blinked. “Um...”

“I think you have some highly disturbing bondage fantasies, Toma, and I want no part of them,” Ikki said, reaching for his coffee. “I saw that, Shin. That was a smile, wasn't it? And Ukyo over there, pretending to be all innocent. He's so not.”

“Do you think breakfast would be like this every morning if we stayed here, Neesan?” Orion asked, and Kokoa looked over at him, blinking in surprise. “Like being part of a really, really big family instead of just the two of us?”

“Well, to be fair, we don't always stay over at Ken's,” Ikki said. “Though I probably will for a while since he's stubborn and injured. And if I remember correctly... didn't you move right around this time two years ago? That means... your lease is about up and you're unemployed because the cafe burned down. So... you are going to stay with Ken until you've got a new job, right?”

Kokoa flushed red. “I...”

“I have room, and you do not have to look upon it as an act of charity,” Kent told her. “It would be... mutually beneficial. If nothing else, cleaning the entire house is a time-consuming tedious affair I have little tolerance for, so if you stayed and took on that duty, I think we could come to an arrangement that would not offend your sensibilities.”

“Listen to him try and be all practical about it,” Toma said, shaking his head. “Dude, just tell her you love her and want her to stay.”

“Actually, Kent had a really nice idea, Neesan,” Orion began, and Kent frowned at him, shaking his head.

“No, Orion, don't—”

“You could stay here and go back to school,” Orion said. “Would you like that? You gave up so much for me, but you could have that. You could finish your degree. If you wanted to... then I'd want that, too. And it wouldn't have to be charity, just like Kent said. Not that you can clean before you're all healed up, but... it's a good idea, isn't it? You could have what I kept you from for so long.”

She sighed, reaching for him. “I don't regret taking care of you at all. And... it was only my pride that kept me from seeing that I could have some of this other stuff without giving up you or what I did for you. I... I probably could have dated, and I might have been able to make other arrangements for school, though I think it would be easier now that you're older. I just... I never really thought about going back before.”

“It's your decision, and you should not let anyone force you into it,” Kent told her. “However, it is possible now in a way that it was not before—or did not seem possible before—that's all.”

Kokoa smiled, reaching up to touch Kent's cheek and turn him bright red. “Thank you, Kent.”


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team works on a few last details.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I overestimated how close I was to the end and was a bit optimistic about how to cover this part.
> 
> So... there still needs to be an epilogue, I think, but the case should be wrapped up... It was too intimidating to write from Waka's point of view, though.

* * *

“You can stop fussing. It didn't take us very long at all.”

Kokoa tried to force a smile, though a part of her still felt guilty. Not just because Toma was right—it took the guys almost no time at all to move everything out of their apartment and into Kent's house—but because they still had so little to move. Her possessions seemed so few and pathetic in front of everyone, and what had taken her and her friends a little more than a day to move and arrange had taken the men a couple hours, even without it being packed in advance.

Toma placed another box in the room that was technically hers. She didn't have to go up and down more than one flight of stairs—not that anyone was letting her walk on her own right now—and it had the best closet, she was told, but she knew she didn't need all this space. It might be next to Orion's, but it was still two floors up from Kent's, and she didn't think she liked that much at all.

She hoped she wasn't red with the thought. She didn't need anyone knowing that, but she had a feeling she'd still have trouble sleeping without knowing that Kent was okay, so she might end up where he was no matter what.

Even being apart for as long as it had taken to supervise packing up her apartment had unsettled her, and she was glad he'd chosen to join them here while the others were moving everything inside.

“You haven't taken us away from the case for any more than a lunch break might have,” Ukyo said, “and we were glad to be able to help you, Orion, and Kent.”

Kent looked up from his tablet. “I am not a factor in this equation. You were assisting Kokoa and Orion, not me.”

“Oh, don't be like that,” Ikki said, coming into the room with another box. “Not only are they your guests that you very much want here, you will eventually make them family. That means we're helping you, too.”

“You are assuming much, Ikkyu. Continued cohabitation may prove that this... circumstance is untenable and that will be the end of it.”

“You don't really think so, do you?” Sawa asked, frowning as she brought in some of the photographs in their frame. “I think you've already been through a lot just to get here, and it would be sad if it ended over something stupid.”

“Most relationships do, but Ken's just trying to prepare himself for the worst,” Ikki said. “Don't you go thinking that means he'll tire of you, Kokoa. He's just afraid you won't want him after you've really been around him for a while.”

Kent lowered his head, focused on the tablet again. “Stop speaking for me. I have no need for an interpreter.”

“You can't run their relationship for them,” Shin said, shaking his head. “If he makes a mess of it, it's his own damned fault and not for you to fix.”

“We don't need any fixing right now,” Kokoa said, tempted to reach for Kent's hand. “We're just... adjusting. And I am perfectly aware of what Kent means by his words. I'm not going to pretend that I think it'll all be easy and simple for us. I'm nervous about it, too. Adding someone new to a household always means change, and I've avoided that for a long time. And in a lot of ways, this is pretty sudden because we didn't even really date before... not unless you count those times when we did stuff that could be considered a date but we didn't call it that like when we ended up shopping together or when I taught him to cook and so... Oh, I said too much again.”

She heard a camera click again and frowned. “Ukyo.”

“I'm sorry. You're just very sweet when you blush, and you flustered Kent a bit, too, so together the two of you make quite a picture again.”

“Shin,” Kent began, and the other man stopped, looking at him. “Please break that camera.”

Shin laughed. “Don't think I'm not tempted. I swear he spent more time 'documenting the move' than actually packing or carrying anything.”

“I agree,” Toma said. “First the light in the apartment was amazing, and he wanted to take pictures of it as it was, then he had to get some of Ikki showing off for the ladies—”

“Which was totally awesome,” Mine said. “Right, Sawa? That was totally hot, him lifting so much.”

Sawa bit her lip. “Well, yes, he can lift a lot, but we moved all that ourselves last time and you sound like such a fangirl right now.”

“Hmm,” Ikki said, taking a step toward her and almost backing her into the wall. “I sense a bit of a challenge here.”

Sawa swallowed. “What?”

“Ikkyu,” Kent said, and Ikki smirked, backing off from Sawa, who was still staring at him in disbelief. Kent just shook his head while Kokoa tried not to laugh.

“You can take a picture of me any time you want, Ukyo,” Mine said, sounding almost like she was pouting now, since Ikki had paid more attention to Sawa than her. 

Orion let out a huge groan. “Make it stop. Someone please make it stop.”

“Where's Waka when you need him, right?” Toma teased, shaking his head. “I think there's just a couple more boxes left, so let's grab them and finish up. We still have more to do on the case... unless Kent took care of all that while we were gone.”

Kent looked at him. “Is that why you wanted me to remain here while the rest of you worked? You did claim it was my injuries and you already had one wounded going with you out of necessity, but you were expecting me to do all this work for you?”

“Of course not. I did plenty before I finally passed out last night,” Toma said. He rubbed his neck. “And I'm sore again thanks to it.”

“Regardless, I believe I have finished reconstructing my theory for the third time, and though it still seems excessive and on the paranoid side, I can see why I flagged all of these cases as ones that the same killer may have done.”

Kokoa stared at him. “You did all that while we were gone? It wasn't that long.”

“Many of the cases proved familiar to me as I read them, and details surfaced that I'd forgotten previously, but yes, it would seem they're present now,” Kent said. “I still don't remember the day I got that concussion or anything leading up to that point, but these cases were all recognizable to me as I reviewed them.”

“That's progress, then,” Toma said. “Though... is there anything there to tie it to Watanbe? Because I couldn't find it in what I did.”

Kent shook his head. “If I'd had a direct connection to Watanbe back then, we would not be having this conversation now.”

“Right. Of course.”

“What about our theory that Watanbe was a collector and has trophies?” Shin asked. “Ikki and Waka both thought that was true, but Waka and I didn't find anything at his apartment here. Waka said... He figured Watanbe had them wherever he was planning on taking Kent. That he intended to show Kent all of them as part of his torture.”

“That would fit,” Kent said, tensing up despite the supposed calm with which he said those words. She took his hand and he closed his eyes. “Watanbe did not mention anywhere specific that he wanted to take me. He had said... it was supposed to be somewhere special, but as long as we died together, it was enough. I provoked him by asking him about the fire and fanfare, so he blew up the car, but... he did not name any place nor give hints as to its location.”

“There's still a chance we can find it,” Ikki said. “Even if he was careful, Watanbe established enough of a pattern for you to spot, and between what we know of him now and the cases, we can probably find a possible location. Maybe Waka talking to Eguchi will get us the last piece we need.”

“Whatever happened to his mother?” Kokoa asked. “You said Watanbe is his mother's name, but... is she alive? Does she know about any of this?”

“No, she's definitely dead, but...” Toma trailed off for a second. “Kent, you want to put that into that equation of yours? Your girl might be onto something.”

“It is possible the location has something to do with his mother,” Kent agreed, “but I don't know that applying Rossmo's formula to this would tell us that part.”

“I'll do it if you're tired,” Ikki told him. “I just need all the information.”

Someone's phone beeped, loudly, and they all went to check them. Kokoa still didn't have hers, not her or Sawa or Mine, and she knew it was already too much what Kent was giving them, but he might be willing to support Orion having a phone as well—he'd say it was logical, wouldn't he? She couldn't bring herself to ask, but if he offered... this time she would not refuse.

“Waka,” Shin said, and the others nodded. “You all get it?”

“Yes,” Kent answered. “I assume he wishes us to meet him at that location.”

Kokoa swallowed. “Is it going to be... safe?”

“Waka wouldn't put Kent in harm's way right now, and knowing what we do about Watanbe, the bomb squad will probably be there to check it out first. It'll be fine,” Toma assured her. “Don't worry. We'll get him back to you safe and sound.”

“I do not require a babysitter,” Kent said. “I do not need you to watch over me.”

“I'd feel better if you weren't alone,” Kokoa told him, and when he looked at her, she felt her cheeks getting red. “I just... you were hurt and... I don't... I worry about the people I care about.”

“She does,” Orion said. “So much that it's annoying.”

“Hey,” she protested, but he just smiled at her, and she couldn't really stay mad at her little brother. She turned back to Kent. “Maybe I do. I... I'm a bit used to fussing over Orion. I know it's not the same, but...you've given us so much already and been through so much, and I don't want anything to happen to you.”

He frowned. “I don't—”

“I'm trying to be better about admitting to my feelings, too,” she said, her cheeks heating up, “so now that I've said that, will you just accept them watching over you already so I don't have to worry so much? Please?”

Kent hesitated for a moment and then nodded. “Very well.”

* * *

“Is your side bothering you? You've been grimacing since we left the house, and I'd tease you about leaving your lady behind—”

“Ikkyu,” Ken said, and Ikki smiled a little. He couldn't hear much pain in Ken's voice, just irritation, and he preferred that over knowing Ken was hurting. The wounds were probably irritating him, but that was better than Ken dragging himself around this place when he was in bad need of some painkillers that worked.

“You manage to get this place into that formula and work out its mathematical mysteries?” Toma asked, looking back at them. 

Ikki didn't see Waka anywhere, so none of them was in a hurry to rush inside, even if having three of them in the backseat was never fun. Kent almost always got the front since he was the tallest, and this time it wasn't in question since he was injured.

“Is that what you were doing on your phone?” Ukyo asked. “I would have thought you'd want your tablet for that.”

Kent sighed. “I was unable to do any work on the way here. Even if I had brought the tablet, I would have been unable to concentrate.”

“You in that much pain?” Shin asked, frowning at him. “If you are—”

“Orion has been using the tablet I loaned him for his schoolwork to message me constantly about his sister,” Kent said. “That is, if he's not asking me about parts of his schoolwork no one there seems to understand or things around the house—apparently they now feel free to explore it at length and I have no idea what he's talking about in half those rooms.”

“We weren't even gone for that long,” Toma said. “Is he doing it to screw with you or what?”

“Perhaps it is a sign he is accepting Kent into the role that he will occupy should things progress with the boy's sister,” Waka observed, and Toma bumped into the car, almost knocking the side mirror off. Waka smiled with amusement. “I see some things do not change.”

“You weren't gone that long,” Shin said. “You going to tell us what happened in Kyoto or not?”

“Eguchi was not very cooperative, though we knew he would not be.”

“That changed when you got there, didn't it?” Toma asked. “You had us come here, after all, so this place must have some meaning and you got it from Eguchi.”

Waka nodded. “True, I was able to learn some things from him. When I suggested that his involvement made him as culpable as his son was in as many crimes as we suspected and said I could prove it... well, he did start to talk, at least.”

“There is a reason no one ever plays poker with you.”

Waka almost laughed that time. “That is as it may be, but Eguchi was quick to deny all knowledge of his son's activities after that. He was aware of his son's intelligence and capability, supposedly, but little else. It would seem that he had very limited contact with his son after what happened to his mother.”

“Why do I get the feeling Watanbe did something to her?” Shin asked. “He started back when he was a kid? Really?”

“I believe it more likely her death was a catalyst,” Ken said, eying the building in front of them again. “She was the first fire, the first death that looked other than it was... but not in the same sense. Watanbe believes Eguchi killed his wife, but not because he saw it. She was as mentally disturbed as her son.”

“What makes you think that?” Ukyo asked. “There's nothing about that building that would say that, though I agree it has a sense of melancholy to it.”

“Was one of those files you did have on Watanbe's mother? No, it couldn't be. You'd have connected it to him if it was.”

“Genetic predisposition toward mental disorders does exist,” Ken said. “And Eguchi in the past seemed somewhat... willful in his disbelief. If he ignored his wife and that led to her death, it would be as good as killing her to the mind of his son, who warped that and took it as inspiration to kill others in the same way. He likely witnessed her death and developed a fascination with it.”

“Still a bit more theoretical than we're used to from you, though it makes sense,” Ikki said. “Wait. There's more to this, isn't there?”

Ken flinched. “I noticed... I spoke before of his seeming jealousy of the relationship I shared with my parents. Even so, he... he had little interest in my father's death, but with my mother...”

Ikki regretted asking. “It's okay. I don't need more details. None of us have to push for that. You... always have reasons, Ken.”

“Watanbe's reasons are the ones we care about right now,” Shin said, blunt as ever but maybe this time it was for the best. “His mom died in a fire, right?”

Waka shook his head. “Not exactly. It would seem the highly disturbed woman attempted to end her life by setting her body on fire and stabbing herself as if in seppuku, but neither method killed her and she was institutionalized instead. Her house remained in trust for her son, who was raised by others with little contact with his father. It was only later that she died.”

“That being the whole start of his two crime system?” Ikki asked, frowning. “I guess it fits. And... this is the house Watanbe was raised in? None of the financial data I had pointed to that.”

“It's apparently set up in a trust under her mother's name, as the grandmother was alive at the time, and that kept it from being directly connected to either Watanbe or Eguchi,” Waka answered, turning back to the house. “Eguchi did not want to tell me of it, but I was rather insistent.”

“You believe the trophies from his kills will be here?”

“Yes,” Waka said. “We do not know what he may have taken.”

“If you are attempting to suggest that I do not look in case it pertains to my family, you need not bother,” Ken said. “I know I am likely due for another panic attack as I haven't had one since my abduction, but I am not willing to... I have to see this to its conclusion. You are aware of this, or you would not have given me the address as well nor sent the text at a time when I was likely to be aware of it going to the others.”

“Perceptive as always,” Waka said. “Very well. We will enter. I've been assured there are no bombs waiting for us, but there may be other traps they did not detect. Go forward with caution.”

* * *

“This house is straight up creepy,” Toma said, shuddering as he looked around the room. Next to him, Shin nodded, just as unsettled by the atmosphere here as everyone else. He didn't know how Kent could stand it.

The souvenirs might have been from his kills, but the obsession Watanbe had with Kent was everywhere here, in photographs and words covering the walls, the same deranged damage all around them even worse than at the apartment. If Watanbe had done that in a rage, what he'd done here was more along the lines of some insane ritual.

“If only more of the rooms had been like the first,” Ukyo said, biting his lip. The shrine to Watanbe's mother still looked like a bedroom, everything in place like the woman might come home at any moment. That was creepy on an entirely different level. “This... I suppose it scares me. This... violence. His hatred for Kent is all over these rooms.”

“Yeah,” Toma said. “I mean, he was obsessed, but I guess I got the wrong idea about it because he... he just seems to want to kill Kent here. That's all over the walls.”

“Was this from two years ago, then?” Waka asked, eying the broken photo frame on the floor. “Could the time when you were out of his reach have altered his desire to kill you into something... else? That is when he started to see you as an equal, as the only one who understood him and became not just about killing you but about... convincing you.”

Kent shuddered. “That may be true, though bringing me here would not convince me of anything except what I already knew—Watanbe was insane.”

“That's for sure,” Shin said, shaking his head as he looked around again. “How many cases have we found a connection to now? Is it all of them?”

“All but two,” Kent answered. “Kokoa's parents... and mine.”

Shin grimaced. They knew that Watanbe had killed Kent's parents. That wasn't in doubt, and their proof was what Kent had witnessed, but if they couldn't prove her parents were a part of this, then what? They left the thing on the books as a murder-suicide?

“We have hearsay evidence for her parents,” Kent said, and Shin grimaced to see he was now shaking a little. “It... He said something to her that was like a confession for that, so...”

“Ken, let's get you out of here, okay?”

“I... No, Ikkyu. I...” Kent wrapped his arms around himself. “I feel like... I should know where he put those souvenirs, and if I just think...”

“Dude, you're about to have a breakdown. Back off and give yourself some time,” Toma said. “This place isn't going anywhere.”

“I do not wish to return to this place. Ever.”

“You would not have to if you could tell us where to look,” Waka said. “You do not have to push to finish this now.”

“I don't want it hanging over me, either,” Kent said. “I... He has too many holds on me already despite being dead. I... Every time fabric touches the skin of my back... No. I... Where was that bookshelf? Most of the books were all over the floor, but there may be... yes, that would fit and...”

Kent walked away still muttering to himself, and they had no choice but to follow after him as he went back into the other room. He stopped at the broken bookcase, frowning. Then he knelt down and picked up a binder from the bottom shelf.

“Wait, that looks like a photo album, not a book,” Ukyo said, moving closer. “Is that—that's Kokoa holding Orion, isn't it?”

Kent nodded, turning more of the pages, the photos mostly of the girl and somehow getting younger as he went through it. “This would seem to be what he took from their house. No one would have known it was missing, not even Kokoa, since the fire destroyed so much.”

“Hold on a minute,” Shin said, pulling the book towards him when he saw a familiar street and figure in one of the earliest photos. “Damn, that's not possible, is it?”

“That looks a lot like you,” Toma said, “and that would be me, and we did have a neighbor—a little sister—called Kokoa before she moved away. Well, that's something, isn't it? I barely remember her, but that picture seems proof enough to me. She's the same girl.”

“That's an interesting connection.”

Shin shook his head. “It's weird is what it is. And don't tell me the odds against it, Kent. I don't want to know.”

“I do not want to calculate them.”

“Okay, so you found the album for Kokoa's parents,” Ikki said. “Is it possible he didn't take anything from your parents' house?”

“No,” Ukyo answered for him, and Shin frowned. Ukyo uncovered another binder from under a broken shelf. That one had his distinctive logo on the front, and as soon as he opened it, there was that picture of all of them—not just Kent and his parents and Ikki but the whole team that time Ikki got them drunk on sake.

“Damn it.”

“That's it, then,” Shin said, feeling sick. “Let's get the hell out of here.”

* * *

“We have something for you,” Ukyo said, and Orion saw Neesan frown as she looked up at him. “Well, the real thing is in evidence, but I thought you might like this all the same. These are photos of photos, and maybe I'm ruining the surprise, but... here.”

He passed some prints into Neesan's hands, and she teared up, biting her lip.

“Neesan?”

“Look at them fussing over you,” she said, reaching a hand out to pull him closer to her. “You were such an adorable baby.”

“Should someone ask what changed?” Toma teased, flopping down in one of the other chairs with a grin. Orion stuck his tongue out at him and almost everyone laughed.

“Shut up, Toma,” Shin said, but it wasn't mean at all, just like it was expected or something.

Orion looked at the picture of his parents, shaking his head. “I... I don't remember them at all.”

“I do,” she said. “I've tried to keep them alive for you, but... it was hard without pictures. I was starting to forget their faces, though... most of these are of me. That's... isn't that a little strange?”

“If you are asking if we believe that he had some motive for choosing that particular photo album, it is difficult to be certain,” Kent said, grimacing as he stopped against the wall. “It may have been random... or a sign he intended to return for you at a later time.”

“You are so not reassuring anyone,” Ikki told him. “And you've clearly been on your feet for too long. Come sit down already.”

“Wait, the bad guy had this?” Orion asked, frowning. “Why did the bad guy have our photos? That's so... wrong.”

“He took souvenirs from everyone he hurt,” Shin said. “He had one of Kent's parents' photo albums, too, one Ukyo gave them.”

“Oh,” Orion said, feeling really bad for Kent again. He didn't think he should hug him, though, because it looked like his side was hurting him a lot right now. “That's bad, isn't it?”

“It proves that he did the crimes we suspect him of, so in that sense, it... is a bit of a relief despite the circumstances. My theory is... valid, as terrible as that is,” Kent said, and Neesan set the pictures aside to pull Kent close on her other side, holding onto him as he shuddered. “Damn it. I did not want to do this in front of everyone again.”

“You withstood more than you should have had to at that house,” Waka told him. “And no one here thinks any less of you for this.”

Kent sighed and closed his eyes. “I will move... shortly... Just need a minute.”

“You can stay as long as you need to,” Neesan told him, leaning her head against his. “I... want to hold onto you. And Orion. And those pictures and... I might cry myself, so... you're not alone.”

Orion leaned against her, trying to comfort her as much as possible. “It's really over now, isn't it? All of it? We're safe, and he's gone and... and it's over.”

She nodded. “Yes. Now we can all start moving forward again.”


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team resolves a few more things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I thought, "epilogue, it will be short. It's fine."
> 
> And then I got started and once again, it got longer than expected. I just had trouble getting it to resolve itself. I think it finally has, though, which is a relief but also... a bit sad. Endings are always bittersweet for a writer, even if they're good endings.

* * *

“I heard it burned, but it's something else seeing it for myself,” Kokoa whispered, looking at the ruins of the cafe with a frown. She didn't know what to think of this. Her job had been like a second home for a long time now, even if it was frustrating at times and she wanted to quit a lot. “Wow.”

“It's definitely weird,” Sawa agreed. “The end of an era, I guess, since they're not going to rebuild. Mine's already found another job—it's so easy for her because she's so pretty and perky—but I'm still looking. What about you? You think you'll go back to school?”

Kokoa had been thinking a lot about it. “I might. I don't want to abuse Kent's generosity, but I did want to study psychology. I just couldn't find a way to balance school with the hours I needed to support Orion, so I had to give it up.”

“Neesan...”

“I told you. I don't regret it,” she said, ruffling his hair. “You're worth everything to me.”

“Not completely, though,” Mine said, and Kokoa looked over at her with a frown. She smirked. “There's Kent now, right? You two have been awful cozy lately. Do you even use your bedroom?”

“Of course I do!” Kokoa protested. True, it was mostly for storage and getting changed since she did tend to fall asleep next to Kent wherever they ended up resting—on the couch or in his bedroom—but there wasn't anything else going on, just sleep. She found it easier to doze off where he was—too easy, since she fell asleep where she shouldn't and didn't intend to and stayed asleep straight until morning.

“We could always suggest to Kent that someone had overstayed their welcome,” Orion said, looking up at Mine. “I'm pretty sure I heard him grumbling about the noise yesterday. What were you doing? He could hear you all the way down in his lab.”

“Nothing important,” Kokoa said, shaking her head. Some people wanted way too much information on her relationship with Kent, which was still in a strange place where they were close but not close at all. They had not gone on a real date, and she didn't think she'd even held his hand since he came back from that place where Watanbe kept his souvenirs. He was kind of distant, even if they did fall asleep next to each other a lot.

“Someone's cheeks are red,” Ikki said as he rejoined them. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing important. We were just talking about work,” Kokoa explained. “Since they're not planning on reopening the cafe, Sawa was asking me about school again.”

“Ah, no plans of your own to return?” Ikki asked, facing Sawa, whose eyes went wide.

“I... wasn't very good at it,” Sawa admitted. “Especially at math.”

“Oh, well, the best tutor for that is currently taken, but I'm definitely available,” Ikki told her, and she just got redder. “What? You don't think I could teach you math? I'm offended. I'm quite smart, you know.”

“It's not that. It's just... I... What would I even do now? It's too late.”

“One can always seek to improve themselves,” Kent said as he walked up to them. “Though arguably it is too late for Ikkyu as he seems to be irredeemable, at least as far as this is concerned.”

“That's not nice, Ken, and a little flirting does not make me a lost cause at all,” Ikki said. “And if you want to lecture someone, your girlfriend is standing when she shouldn't be and you need to be off your feet yourself.”

“You are an infuriating nursemaid,” Kent said. “It was a simple errand, and I am not fatigued. However, you do look flushed, Kokoa, and it would perhaps be best if you did rest again. You do not need to tear those stitches again.”

She sighed, still wanting to be able to move around normally and she didn't want to get forced back into the car, either. They could make it fit with the four of them in the backseat, but not comfortably, and she almost wished Sawa and Mine hadn't insisted on coming with them to do errands today. It might have been simpler if Orion was in school, but he had a holiday today.

“I am not done with all of my errands, but I was hoping to borrow someone for them,” Ikki said. “You sit, Ken, and rest with Kokoa, while I snag these two for a bit. I hate going in there without at least one woman on my arm.”

“What?”

“This particular shopkeeper flirts worse than Ikkyu if he goes in alone and makes unfortunate assumptions about the two of us if I accompany him. I will remain here,” Kent said. “Though you could persuade him he does not need another new suit all the same. It is just a formal dinner, after all, and we've attended several.”

“Formal dinner?” Kokoa asked. “No one mentioned one before.”

“That's because none of us want to go,” Ikki said. “I don't know why Waka can't get us out of it, but he hasn't, so we're going.”

Kent grimaced. “We're being honored by Kyoto for ending Watanbe's crimes. None of us wish to attend, but it is required, and part of Ikkyu's intention this morning was to get a new suit. He has not and will not talk me into one, though.”

She licked her lips, mouth a bit dry. Kent. In a suit. Oh. She still remembered how much that had shocked her and how surprisingly good he looked in it. “Um...”

“Ooh, can you take guests?” Mine asked, turning to Ikki. “You should so take me. Kent can take Kokoa.”

“What? What about me?” Sawa asked, frowning. “And we can't leave Orion behind, either.”

Kent put a hand to his head. “Ikkyu, if you insist on purchasing this item, go and do so now. Take both of the loud ones with you.”

“Gladly,” Ikki said, wrapping an arm around each woman's waists as he guided them away, Mine still trying to convince him to take her with him while Sawa stressed over being left out. Kokoa wasn't sure why. There were, after all, six men on that team, and if she didn't go with Ikki, Toma or Ukyo would probably be willing to take her. She doubted Shin would take a date. He'd still be trying to get out of it up until the last minute.

“Ikkyu is correct in one sense,” Kent said, sitting down on the passenger seat and leaning back against the chair. “You could come with us to Kyoto.”

“To that formal dinner?” Kokoa tried not to panic. She knew she didn't have anything nice enough for that, and she couldn't dance, not with her leg like this—would there even be dancing? And what would she do with Orion?

“Of course not,” Kent said, shaking his head. “I would not ask you to attend an event I would avoid if at all possible. I was thinking more of the opportunity it would afford you and Orion to see to other matters... that of meeting his biological father.”

“Oh,” she whispered, sitting down in the back seat and trying to think clearly about that. It scared her a bit, introducing them. What if he wanted to take Orion?

Worse, what if Orion wanted to go with him?

Even if she was sort of dating Kent now, that didn't mean she wanted to force Orion out of her life or anything. She was still his sister and so used to raising him she didn't know what to do if she wasn't taking care of him. Going back to school was frightening enough a prospect, but losing Orion?

“It would be, of course, under a controlled circumstance,” Kent went on, “where he would not be able to do any harm and you could even have Toma present for the legal aspect. In fact, you may find it hard not to include him.”

She winced. “I almost wish he hadn't found that picture. He seems determined to treat me like his younger sister now, with all the overprotectiveness that comes with it.”

“So I have noticed,” Kent said, and she frowned. Had Toma said something to him about their relationship? That wasn't right. It wasn't his place.

“Well, as long as you and the others are around, I think it would be okay to at least introduce ourselves,” Orion said, frowning a little. “I don't want to do more than that, but Kent's team will keep us safe just in case. He'll see we have a big, happy family here and not want to interfere with that.”

“That is a bit of an exaggeration, but you would not be alone, that is true.”

“Exactly,” Orion said, smiling. “I think we should go, don't you, Neesan? Then it won't be hanging over us to worry about and we can really do what you said and move forward.”

“Yes. Of course. Um... We'll make more arrangements later.”

* * *

“I still don't understand why Waka made us come to this,” Shin grumbled, fidgeting in his chair. He hated this suit, he hated places like this, and Waka had never made them do it before, so why now? If it was Gatou, he'd be doing this to rub it in Kyoto's face, but he'd been forced to step down after the news broke that his assistant was a psychotic serial killer and had used his authority to get away with murder.

“Waka has his reasons, I'm sure,” Toma said, “though we may never know what they are.”

“Just sit back and enjoy the scenery,” Ikki said, reaching over to toy with Sawa's earring and make her flush red. Shin didn't know why she'd agreed to come to this thing, either, since Mine's excuse of wanting to dress up fancy didn't seem to fit Sawa that much. Still, both of them were turning their fair share of heads, Mine maybe more than Sawa since she'd been more daring with her neckline and had the figure for it.

“Not all of us are as obsessed with women as you are.”

“You do realize by saying that you're opening yourself up to the implication that you do not desire women at all, don't you?” Kent asked, and Shin almost swore, since Ikki's smirk said he was waiting for Shin to walk right into that one.

“Hey, at least you're not alone in that,” Toma said. “Kent's managed to fall into that trap a few times, too, and some people would still be passing that rumor along right now if he wasn't with Kokoa at this very moment.”

She blushed but gave Kent a small smile. Shin was pretty sure she was holding his hand under the table, and they had to have the youngest person in the room at their table, too, since Orion was sitting on her other side as usual.

That had to be Ikki's doing. He'd probably bought them both those outfits, and for some reason, she hadn't gotten upset by that and had actually come with Kent to this nightmare. Unbelievable.

“I felt like I wanted to be here to support Kent,” Kokoa said. “And this is still... my fault, in a way, since I asked him to look into my parents' death. So... it's my fault, but also... Kent helped with the arrangements to see Orion's biological father tomorrow, so I... Well, it felt right to be here, even if I still feel a bit out of place despite the dress and Orion's suit and everything.”

“No one is at place at these things besides bureaucrats,” Toma said, shaking his head in disgust. “Though if Waka really does end up ditching us for the whole dinner—”

“You're going to make him show up, talking like that.”

“Oh, he's here somewhere,” Ukyo said. He frowned and looked around. “I'm not sure where, but I did see him while I was still taking pictures of the location. He wanted to know if I got Kent's reaction to Kokoa's dress on film.”

“What?” Kent demanded, embarrassed. “Waka did not ask for that. Ikkyu, yes, I believe that, but not Waka. And if you do have a picture of that, I will destroy it and all negatives.”

“You don't have to go that far,” Kokoa said, flushing. “I... seeing your reaction made it worth putting on. I was afraid you wouldn't like it.”

Kent stared at her. “What... why would I ever object to... that is...”

“He can be coherent when he's drunk, drugged, or puking, but in front of the woman he loves, he's a complete mess,” Ikki teased, smiling. “That's so much fun.”

“I have a special math problem for you that you will not enjoy,” Kent told him, glaring at him, and Ikki laughed. “It should even make you cry again.”

“You wish.”

Orion started laughing, and Kokoa smiled at him, brushing back his hair. He smiled back at her, and Ukyo took another picture.

“Everyone here seems in good spirits,” Waka said, taking the only empty chair. “Even you, Shin.”

“What? The hell I am.”

“You were smiling when Ken threatened me with a math puzzle to make me cry,” Ikki said. “I saw it. So did everyone else, and Ukyo probably even took a picture of it.”

“Damn it.”

“Oh, you needn't be like that about it,” Waka said. “At least you do not have to give a speech.”

Kent choked on his drink, spilling some from his glass on his suit. He coughed. “You are referring to yourself, aren't you? Because I did not prepare one nor am I going to do it. I don't care what threat you may try to make. I will not go up there.”

Waka only smiled.

Kent shook his head. “I mean it. I'm not doing a speech. Ikkyu can. He is used to the spotlight.”

“Wow, way to throw me under the bus, Ken,” Ikki said. “And no, I'm not doing it, either. I'm not the poster boy, and I refuse to be. Besides, how am I supposed to leave my charming date behind?”

“I can't do it,” Ukyo said, lowering his camera. “I... I freeze up on the other side of the lens.”

“Well, we all know asking Shin to do it would be a bad idea,” Toma said, shaking his head. “If he said anything at all, he'd insult Kyoto, call the whole police force idiots that we had to clean up after—even if we missed a few things ourselves—and cause an incident.”

Shin glared at him. “No, only you're stupid enough to actually say that, Toma.”

“I do not care who you send up there, only that it will not be me,” Kent said, rising. “Excuse me. I apparently had too much to drink waiting for this farce to be over.”

Kokoa frowned, her eyes on Kent's full glass sitting on the table. 

“You know what? He's right. I had a bit much myself. Excuse me, ladies.” Ikki rose, hurrying to catch up to Kent as he left the room.

“I thought it was girls that went to the bathroom in groups,” Toma said, frowning as he shook his head. “People back home would talk, even with you and how obvious Kent is about you, Kokoa.”

She shook her head. “People shouldn't talk, but that's not even... Um...”

“Kent's not planning on coming back, is he, Neesan?”

Toma looked at Shin. Shin lifted his eyes from Kent's still full glass, and at the same time, they both stood and took off running for the door.

Behind him, he heard glass shatter and had to wonder if it wasn't someone's drink but Ukyo's camera instead. Shin wasn't exactly sorry about that, either.

* * *

“Last night was funny,” Orion said, and then he reddened. “I suppose I shouldn't say that, should I, Kent? It's bad of me to laugh at poor Ukyo getting stuck with the speech.”

Neesan looked down at her hands. He could tell that she wanted to laugh, but she thought it was bad, too, to be amused at Ukyo's distress. Waka had found it kind of funny, Orion was sure of that. Did that make him evil? Or was he just mean? Or was it even that bad that they'd all thought it was kind of funny? 

“I suspect that Waka expected such a reaction from us,” Kent said. “And there was no speech planned at all.”

“So it was just a test? Ukyo looked like he might cry if he had to go up there. And Toma and Shin ran in a panic,” Orion said, and that made Neesan giggle. He saw her do it and almost did himself. “Okay, that part was really funny. It's okay to laugh about that, right?”

“I think so,” Neesan said. “Well... I... um... I did it, too, so... I... I can't object to it.”

Kent folded his arms over his chest. “Admittedly, I don't understand social nuances well, but were the situation reversed, Toma almost assuredly would be laughing at Ikkyu or I. I do not know about Ukyo or Shin. Perhaps Ukyo would not. Shin... that is difficult to say.”

“It does make waiting a little easier,” Neesan admitted. “We're all so distracted by last night none of us are thinking about what we're actually here to do.”

“Right,” Orion said, feeling nervous again. Neesan pulled him close, holding him as she leaned against his back. “You're worried, too, aren't you?”

“I am,” she admitted, “I don't know what to expect. We didn't talk for very long on the phone, so I didn't get much of a sense of who he is. He's probably a good guy, he'd have to be to be a part of you, but I'm still a bit scared.”

Orion looked over at Kent. “It's okay. Kent's with us. So we'll be safe.”

Kent blinked. “You see me as... protection? I would think you'd be more appeased by knowing that Toma and Shin are out there watching over this meeting from a distance.”

“Um, not so much because I can't tell where they are.”

“Ah. They did say they'd be blending in. It does show they have some talent for that,” Kent said. “You can at least see Ukyo, can't you? He's taking pictures over there. And Ikkyu is also present, though hardly on guard. That is to be expected given his companion of the moment, I suppose.”

“Ikki really likes to flirt, doesn't he?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Kent said. Then he stiffened, frowning. “Oh. I may have located the man we're waiting for, though I cannot be certain. My eyesight is not the best, though he does seem to have some resemblance to Orion.”

“He does?” Orion asked, rushing to Kent's side and craning his head for a look. He frowned. “Wait. I don't see anyone. Kent, you wouldn't be teasing me, would you?”

“I do not tease.” Kent frowned. “Oh, I should qualify that. I do tease Ikkyu, and I did give him an especially difficult problem. That does count as teasing, and I have been known to make certain sarcastic remarks and—”

“Kent, it's okay.” Neesan reached over to jerk on his coat. He looked down at her, and she gave him a smile. “You don't have to be precise about everything, though... It's kind of cute when you do.”

“Neesan,” Orion hissed at her, not really wanting to hear her say stuff like that, either, even if Kent was kind of funny when he went red like that.

“Excuse me, but I think we were supposed to meet here today?”

Orion looked up to see another man standing there. He wasn't as tall as Kent—Orion was starting to think no one was, but he was still kind of tall. If he'd been alone when this guy came up to him, it might have been really scary. Only Kent was here, and Ikki was over there, and Ukyo was taking pictures—well, that wasn't that great; Orion didn't want to be in pictures—and somewhere around Shin and Toma were watching over them, too, so they were really safe instead.

“You must be Orion,” the man said, smiling at him. “You couldn't be anyone else. I thought that as I first came into the park, but up close, I'm even more certain of it.”

Orion continued to stare at him. Would he look like that when he got older?

“I'm Nhil.” He turned to Neesan. “It's been a long time, Kokoa. You are more than grown these days. You probably don't remember me, do you?”

She shook her head. “No, I don't. I... I know you were at the funeral, but I don't remember ever meeting you before then.”

“You were very young, and I'd been away on business for many years. I think I've spent more of my life outside of Japan than in it, unfortunately.”

“Yet you were present for the funeral,” Kent said, sounding suspicious. “Or had your traveling stopped by then?”

Nhil looked over at him, frowning. “I'm sorry. I don't think we've met.”

“This is Kent,” Kokoa told him, flushing a little. Maybe it was kind of rude not to introduce Kent, but he could have done it himself. Maybe he didn't want to? He kept saying this wasn't about him. “He's my... he's a...”

“He's her boyfriend,” Orion said, getting looks from both of them as they went red. He didn't know why that was so hard for them to say. It was true, wasn't it? “And he's a policeman.”

Nhil blinked, and Orion wondered if that intimidated him. Kent was big and scary and a cop, so maybe it did. “You're a policeman?”

“That's not entirely accurate. I'm a forensics expert attached to a task force.”

“Oh, yes.” Nhil nodded. “That's right. I saw your picture in the paper. You and that task force found a serial killer who had been masking his murders as accidents and suicides.”

Kent nodded. “That is correct.”

Nhil's eyes went to Neesan. “Does that mean... if you're with him, and they found that... your parents. Does that mean... they were a part of that? The papers didn't list any names, but that... they were, weren't they? He would never have killed her. Not for any reason, but especially not over that. He was the one who asked for my help. He wanted to make her happy and give her another child. He would never have hurt her.”

“I know,” Neesan said, lowering her head. “I never believed it was an accident, and when Kent first looked over the case and told me that they'd decided he killed her, I didn't believe him. I... I threw him out of the house.”

Nhil smiled slightly. “You may well have your mother's temper. Or at least her stubbornness. She never gave up, and you were certainly determined to raise Orion on your own.”

“Were you going to take me away from her?” Orion wouldn't go. He'd make this man leave, father or not, and never talk to him again if he tried that. Neesan was his family, and now he had more family—Kent and his team and even Neesan's friends and Waka.

“No. I told you. I'm in and out on business too often to raise a child, and I knew it.” Nhil shook his head. “I let other people's happiness become my own, devoted so much time to trying to make their wishes come true that I never really settled down and thought about my own. Even my help to your parents was about that, not myself.”

“You never had any intention of asking for custody of Orion.”

Nhil met Kent's gaze. “I can't say that. I had, of course, signed away my rights to him, but after they died, everyone thought it best I take in the child as I could provide for him and Kokoa was just about to start college. They were pushing me to take him and raise him so she could be free to focus on school.” 

“Everyone kept saying that you were Orion's father and I should give him to you, but... I wouldn't. I didn't even talk to you at the funeral, just left as soon as we could.” Neesan pulled Orion close to her again. “I couldn't let go of the only family I had left. And I... I didn't want him to go to someone they said she cheated on my father with.”

Nhil shook his head. “I was never any competition in that respect. Your parents loved each other very much. I was only ever a friend to them both. And I would not have wanted to separate you from each other. I would have helped with Orion's care if you'd let me, of course, but in a financial sense for the most part, as I am still traveling most of the time.”

“Oh. So... then Neesan really could go back to school,” Orion said, and she frowned at him. “You wouldn't have to worry about it being too much charity or support from Kent because Nhil was helping, too, so you can do it without worrying about taking too much from Kent.”

Nhil frowned. He didn't seem to like that much. “Too much?”

“Kokoa's place of employment recently burned down, and her lease was up, so she and Orion moved in with me as a... well, the measure is likely temporary unless things end in... That is to say that I have... inherited a residence that is large enough for multiple families and they share some of the space. It is not necessary to pay rent, and the expense of maintaining it is not high, just time consuming and if I am returning to active duty as everyone believes I will now, then I need someone to do basic housework there, which would see to things as an equitable exchange seeing as it is so large and there is no charity to it at all.”

Nhil kept on frowning. “Most young people I know just move in together because they're in love.”

“I'm the one that doesn't want charity,” Neesan said. “And Kent's actually very thoughtful in making sure I don't feel like it is, not that... well, I was pretty mean to him in the past when he tried to help us. So it's not what you think. Kent's a very kind, generous man, and I don't want to take advantage of that at all, though we kind of are already.”

“Kokoa, I don't—”

“You'd let Sawa and Mine stay, too, if I asked you to, and that's really not fair to you at all.”

He grimaced. “Well, if they could be quieter, it might be less of a bother. I just don't understand how they can constantly speak so loud.”

“Me, either. My brain fries every time I'm around them for a long time.” Orion caught Neesan's look and shrugged. “They're just... so loud. And they talk so much. It's better when they're around Kent's friends even if Ikki is flirting with them because they don't get as noisy.”

“It sounds like you have quite a group going on,” Nhil said, still frowning a little. “I... I suppose if it's not money you need, then you... wouldn't have need of me.”

“That's not true,” Neesan said. “I... you are Orion's father, and it's only fair you be able to know him if you want to. We spent too long afraid of being separated, but it's not like that. We... If you want to know Orion... I think he'd like to know you. And our group may be loud and crazy and big and suspicious—look, Orion, I finally spotted Toma, but I still don't see Shin anywhere—we could work things out. Even if it's just a meal or a holiday...”

Nhil gave her a warm smile. “I think I'd like that.”

* * *

“Does it seem strange to you to have the house this empty?”

Kent tried not to look at her. He didn't want to acknowledge that he was awake, foolish as that was. He knew it was not rational, but if one of them was already asleep, then it didn't matter that they were sharing a bed, not as much. If she were already sleeping, then it was not wrong of him to be present, and the same worked if he fell asleep first, though that was rarer. Being awake at the same time made it awkward and reminded him that he should push her to return to her own bed.

“Kent? You are awake, aren't you?”

He knew that in a moment, she would sit up and look at him to verify that fact. He sighed. “Yes.”

“I'm not keeping you up, am I? Orion was so worn out from the Kyoto trip that he went right to bed again, but my mind is too full. I can't sleep.”

“I don't generally sleep, so you are not keeping me awake.”

She let out a sigh at that, and he wanted to tell her not to pity him. He did not need that, especially not from her. He had been tempted to get up and go into the lab, but that would mean forgoing sleep all together, as he could not permit himself to return to the bed if she was already in it. That was not proper.

“Do you think I did the wrong thing?”

“In arranging for Orion to be able to see and know his biological father?” Kent asked, turning over to frown at her. “I do not know that it can be a mistake if he is not a bad person, and while I am not necessarily the one who has the best instincts about people, none of the others flagged him as suspicious when we spent more time with him. Ikkyu still looked into his finances and Toma did more online research, and they would have told you if they found anything.”

She forced a smile. “They're all so protective.”

“Yes. It can be quite stifling.”

“They're good people, though. I'm glad you have so many nice people around you, those good friends.” Her smile seemed more genuine now, though she looked away from him and flushed. “It's strange... I used to think I lost everything in the fire that took my parents, everything but Orion. Our home, our family, our possessions, the photographs... all I had was my memories and Orion.”

“You were quite strong to continue on after that all alone.”

“I was stubborn. And stupid,” she said, looking back at him now. “Nhil didn't have any interest in taking Orion away from me, and I could have stayed in school if not for my pride. I could have accepted his help with supporting Orion and...”

“You said you didn't regret your choices. Was that a lie for Orion's benefit?”

“No. I... I'm glad I had him with me. I just... it could have been better for him. He could have had that nicer school right away. I could have had a degree and made money for us that way, not slaving every day in a cafe so that I was barely home when he was and always worried about making money and denying him things his friends had and—”

“Orion has never cared about any of that, not that I can tell. Even now, in this overpriced and ridiculous house, he has not taken up the luxurious items or even the electronics with any special enthusiasm. He was denied nothing of true value. I know I seem like someone who would not say that, as there is no tangible value to the emotional support you provide him, but as you said... you lost all of that in the fire, all the possessions and even your home. Yet you continued on because those things are not as valuable as they seem. Food and shelter for the day is all anyone truly needs, and Orion had that. Things are replaceable. People... are not.”

She blinked back tears. “Kent, your parents...”

“I had no true sense of their necessity or value until they were gone.” Kent could admit that now. He had not understood the emotional connection he had to his parents or their meaning to him, not as more than an intellectual exercise, and he had often thought he was fine without them. He had lived on his own for years without them before their death, but that fostered a false sense of independence and the idea that he was not as attached to them as he truly was.

“I think that's true of almost everyone. I think even if we know how much someone means to us, we still have no comprehension of what it would be like to lose them until they're gone. I knew my parents mattered. I loved them. And their loss still devastated me. I don't know how I would have gone on without Orion to care for.”

“I am very grateful you never gave up.” Kent wanted to touch her. He didn't know if she would want that, but his hand moved toward her anyway. His fingertips reached her cheek, noting a slight wetness to her skin.

“I am, too.” She covered his hand with hers. “I... There is something... I did lose a lot in that fire, and you did, too, in the one that took your parents, and I don't... I know it's still part of... because I lost my parents and asked you about it—”

“That does not make their deaths your fault. Watanbe did that. He did not have to, but he chose to, and he had to be stopped. I will not say I wanted my parents to die, and I do not take comfort in knowing that their deaths were a part of ending Watanbe's crimes, but the choice to kill was still his and rests on him alone. The rational part of my mind knows that.”

“The rest of you is having a hard time accepting it. You blame yourself.”

“Yes, but—”

“I think no matter what we say or know, we will always blame ourselves a little.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “If we just let it eat at us, though, then we do them and ourselves a disservice. I know my parents wouldn't want me to blame myself for their deaths or to be miserable because of it. And I don't think your parents would want that, either. They would tell you it was illogical, right?”

He almost managed a laugh. The sound was rather odd, a bit strangled. “Yes, they would.”

“And I also think... if I hadn't lost my parents... would you and I ever have met?”

Kent frowned. “What?”

“Well, it's true that I was hoping to come back to Tokyo for school, but I probably would have chosen one in Kyoto to stay close to them. And I wouldn't have worked in that cafe and wouldn't have gotten the difficult customer that was you and I wouldn't have argued with you and gotten into a habit of debating and then... we wouldn't have crossed that line into friendship that I'm still not sure when it happened for either of us or exactly when it was more, either, just that... it is now.” 

She went bright red at the admission, and Kent's mouth went dry. 

“Kokoa, I...”

“You don't have to say it. Neither of us is really comfortable with that right now, but... we will be, I think. Eventually. I just... my point was... we lost things, but we also gained some, didn't we? I have good friends in Sawa and Mine. I also got to meet your whole team, and they've adopted me and Orion as a part of things. Your team is still your family, so you haven't lost all of it.”

“I suppose, in some sense, I've gained a little,” Kent agreed, since she was here and Orion, too, though he doubted he'd ever consider Sawa or Mine family, even if Ikkyu was foolish enough to pursue one of them.

“Yes, that's what I meant. We lost things, but we gained them, too.”

“Yes.”

“Kent?”

“What?”

“Would it be too much to... to be closer to you? To... um... have you hold me?”

He shook his head. He supposed it was still inappropriate, as they were not quite at that level of intimacy, and it was some sort of risk, being alone and that close, but then again, he wanted to embrace her as well. 

She snuggled herself into his arms, leaning up against him. “I said all that, but then I think... I should never have involved you and it's all my fault and I don't deserve you or your love because I got your parents killed.”

He held onto her. “You... I suppose it is not impossible that there would be another who might look past my disagreeableness and my logic to think I was worth loving, but I assure you that you're the first to think so. And I... I had basically accepted I was likely to live my life alone despite my parents' assurances that genetics would see my perfect match to me. I... I still find it unbelievable that you could return these confusing feelings. And now... when you are not with me at night, I lie awake hearing Watanbe's breathing, his words as he died claiming that I am like him and his other half. Your breathing, your presence... that forces that away and reminds me that I am not... that man's obsession with me is not who I am. Even my overly logical and insensitive side is not like him... you remind me of that. My feelings for you... my friendship with Ikkyu and the others... that means that I am not what he claims. I would have you stay near me for those reasons alone, but there are others as well.”

“I... am glad you want me here,” she whispered. “Because I want to stay here. With you and Orion and... the rest of this odd little family as he likes to call it. But mostly with you.”

“Oh.”

“Kent—”

“I want you to stay as well.” He let his head rest against hers. “We... both lost things that cannot be replaced. And we will both deal with the guilt we feel for the rest of our lives, but... perhaps we do not have to do it alone.”

“We don't,” she insisted. “I have Orion, and he's really starting to take to you. I think it's because you help him so much with his homework, but he also knows you make me happy. And there's Ikki who's like a brother to you and teases us both like he is. Toma's decided he's my big brother again, so he's acting like that. Shin pretends he doesn't care, but he does. Ukyo keeps photographing us in embarrassing moments, but he cares a lot, too. Sawa and Mine have been a little nosy, but they mean well and want us to be happy. And there's even Waka, watching over everyone in the background. We're not alone. We have a lot in spite of everything we lost and even if we don't deserve it.”

“Yes.”

“Kent?”

“What?”

“It really would be okay if you kissed me right now. I promise.”

He laughed before pressing his lips to her forehead. Anything further seemed inappropriate at the moment. It was enough for him, at least, that she was with him. He almost felt like he was ready to return to work even if he knew the panic attacks could still come at any moment and humiliate him.

He closed his eyes, that thought having taken away his resolve. He was not ready yet, no.

Maybe soon. Maybe it would be enough just to work with the team again. He could always be a consultant. That wouldn't require as much of a presence, and while he would not be running a lab, perhaps he could still be of use.

Considering that it had taken two years for him to feel like he was capable of that, he knew it was progress. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

* * *

“Okay, this calls for a celebration,” Ikki said as the door to Waka's office closed behind Ken.

“Ikki, he's talking to Waka. That does not mean he's back,” Shin said, and Ikki gave him a dark glance. He really didn't understand at all. This was a lot bigger than Shin realized. If Ken didn't feel up to working, he wouldn't have come by the office at all. He'd have asked to meet Waka somewhere else, most likely at home.

This was a good sign. Ken was really ready to start moving forward again.

“I'm okay with a celebration,” Ukyo said. “Things have been kind of tense around here since we got back from Kyoto. Relaxing things a little would be good.”

“Yeah, I don't think people are very happy with us at the moment,” Toma agreed. “Them finding out Kent was alive from the Kyoto papers made a lot of them very angry.”

“That's not our fault,” Shin said. “None of us ever lied and said he was dead. It's their own fault for assuming he was. And they should have known once people saw him at the warehouse that he was alive.”

“True, but that doesn't mean they see it that way.”

Shin rolled his eyes at his brother's words. “Who cares what they think?”

Ikki decided not to point out that Shin cared far too much about what others thought about his dad. He was too sensitive to that.

“I think someone else sees it Ikki's way,” Ukyo said, getting up and going to the door to open it. “Come in. Let me take that from you.”

“I can carry it. I'm fine,” Kokoa said. She gave him a bright smile. “Really, Ukyo. They took the stitches out of my leg, and the doctors said I'm fine to walk on it now. I feel fine. And I had Orion to help me with everything.”

“She went kind of crazy,” Orion said. “She never makes this much food, but Nhil sent us money, and so of course she felt guilty about taking it and was only willing to use it if she spent part of it on someone other than herself—and me—so we got food and made a surprise for Kent's first day back.”

“You cooked in Ken's kitchen? And he doesn't know?”

“No, we borrowed Sawa's kitchen,” Orion said. “And it is very small compared to Kent's—he's been teaching us both how to make stuff and it's a lot nicer a kitchen than Sawa's to cook in, but since we wanted to surprise him, we went there instead of going to my school today.”

“That's so sweet of you,” Ukyo said, smiling at them. “It's a shame we missed that part.”

“Not everything needs to be photographed, Ukyo.” Ikki came over to usher Kokoa to a chair anyway. “Though I am admittedly a bit jealous. Look at you doing all this for Ken. He's so lucky to have a thoughtful girlfriend like you. Am I ever going to find someone like that?”

“I thought you had a date later.”

Ikki grinned. “I do, but that doesn't mean I'm not hoping that I get to have things as good as Ken does someday. This could be the time, I'd like to believe that, but nothing is certain yet.”

“I hope it works out for you,” Kokoa said, smiling at him, and Ikki had to smile back. Hers was rather infectious. No wonder Ken had fallen for it. “I knew you all enjoyed Kent's omelets, so I tried to make something like them—he did teach me a bit about his technique, though I still don't think they're as good as his. I also made some desserts, but I don't know what Waka likes, so I don't know if there's anything here he'll like. Oh, and we should make some tea and coffee. We can manage that here, can't we? Or is it as bad as they say on those shows?”

“Worse, but only for the others. Waka wouldn't allow terrible tea or coffee,” Toma answered. “We have our own machine. Well, technically it's Waka's and it's in his office for his own personal use, but we occasionally make use of it when he lets us.”

“Just relax.” Ikki pulled out a chair for her. “It'll be fine, and Ken will be thrilled to see you.”

“I hope so. It is a bit intrusive, coming here like this.”

“Any of us should be so lucky as to have you come here for him.” Toma leaned forward to peek at the food. “Oh, damn, that looks good. They could hurry it up in there.”

“You're all jumping to conclusions,” Shin said. “Kent could be here to try and talk Waka into accepting his resignation this time.”

“No way.” Orion reached into the bag and took out a cookie, biting into it. “Kent is here because he's ready to work again. He doesn't have the same amount of chores to do around the house because Neesan's doing them. He's so bored around the house. You can tell by how many math problems he's made for Ikki and how much he's hovering around when I do my homework. He has taught me a lot, but I'm pretty sure he's really bored.”

“Orion, don't tell them that.”

“But he is. I think Kent even misses them. Not Sawa or Mine, but the rest of you.”

“Orion—”

“Exactly what kind of tales is your brother telling these impressionable fools?” Ken asked from Waka's doorway. “I never said any such thing about missing anyone.”

“Ah, we know you love us, Ken,” Ikki told him. “And we're all a bit in love with your girlfriend. Look at all she brought us just to celebrate you being back.”

Ken frowned at the table. “I had only come to discuss the possibility of working as a consultant on a temporary and provisional basis. This is... unnecessary.”

“You know that it is merely the first step,” Waka said. “You will be back permanently. This is where you belong.”

“And we're your family,” Ukyo told him, bolder than usual. “Don't forget that again.”

Ken stared at him, as if struggling for words. That wasn't like Ukyo to say, even if they all sort of felt that way about the situation, some of them more than others. 

“Orion says you've been holding out on me and there's a bunch of math puzzles waiting for me?”

“What business is it of yours? You shouldn't tell people things that are not yours to disclose.” 

“Don't scare the kid, Kent.”

Ken sighed and passed the papers over to Ikki, and he frowned. “What? This looks... this can't even be done, can it?”

“I suppose you'll have to find out.”

“I look forward to it,” Ikki said, putting the puzzles in his pocket. “Now let's see about that food your girlfriend brought us.”

“She's not—” Ken stopped himself when he caught the expressions on the faces of Kokoa and Orion. “I... I do not think it wise to use... labels.”

“I don't care if you call me your girlfriend or not,” Kokoa said, rising to go to his side. “And I wasn't sure you'd like it if I surprised you, but I wanted to do something for you for a change. I could also include your friends, so that was nice.”

Ken sighed. “I'm sorry. I was... It is embarrassing to admit, but I was nervous about this visit, and it may be that I... rather disgracefully took that out on everyone just now.”

“Believe us, Ken, we are all just glad to see you back,” Ikki told him. “Now give the girl a kiss and make up already.”

She blushed furiously. “Ikki, that's not—Kent, you don't have to do that. I'm just... I only wanted to surprise you. I was hoping you'd like it.”

“I didn't mean to make it seem as though I didn't,” Ken told her, looking like he wanted to touch her but couldn't go through with it. Ikki knew him well enough to almost be sure of that. “I am just... not used to so much attention and not good at properly expressing my emotions. I behaved poorly due to the stress though it's not an excuse.”

She wrapped her arms around Kent. “I'm glad it worked out. I think they're right, and this is where you belong.”

“Speaking of which,” Waka said. “I have a case for you.”

“What? Already? Kent just got back and we haven't even started eating yet.”

Waka smiled. “Then I suppose you had better hurry with your meal.”


End file.
